LEADER OF THE HOUSE

COSAC

Llew Smith: To ask the Leader of the House what evaluation he has made of the proposals put forward by the Conference of Community and European Affairs Committees of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) in respect of the relative powers of national Parliaments.

Peter Hain: I am aware of COSAC's Contribution of 7 October, and have noted that it proposes that all Parliaments within the EU should hold simultaneous debates on the Commission's legislative and work programme. I shall consider further, in discussion with colleagues, what forum might be most appropriate for debate of the Commission's programme.
	I note that the Contribution also endorses the provisions in the draft constitutional treaty for direct transfer of Commission documentation to national Parliaments and for an "early-warning mechanism" by which national Parliaments would be able to present a reasoned opinion if they felt that legislative proposals breached the principle of subsidiarity. The Government strongly support these provisions.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Libel

Norman Baker: To ask the Solicitor-General what guidance the Attorney-General has issued to judges in respect of the appropriateness of agreeing to injunctions to prevent a potential libel.

Harriet Harman: The Attorney-General has not issued any such guidance.

CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Costs

Howard Flight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost was to his Department for (a) ministerial cars and drivers, (b) taxis, (c) train travel, (d) the use of helicopters, (e) airline tickets and (f) chartered aeroplanes in each year since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: The responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars and drivers has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car Despatch Agency. I asked its Chief Executive, Mr. Nick Matheson to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his letter has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	
		The amount spent for official use of taxis in UK for financial years
		
			  £ 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1997–98 25,535 
			 1998–99 96,439 
			 1999–2000 176,489 
			 2000–01 220,720 
			 2001–02 267,603 
		
	
	
		The UK rail travel figures
		
			  £ 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1997–98 89,937 
			 1998–99 466,598 
			 1999–2000 460,500 
			 2000–01 407,354 
			 2001–02 417,420 
		
	
	
		The figures for all forms of air travel (UK and Overseas) inclusive for the same period
		
			  £ 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1997–98 1,061,745 
			 1998–99 1,218,293 
			 1999–2000 1,155,755 
			 2000–01 1,525,834 
			 2001–02 1,780,405 
		
	
	The figures above for air travel do not include ministers travel costs overseas costing more than 500.
	Since 1999, this Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The lists include details of the cost of trips involving charter and RAF flights. Copies of the lists covering the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 2003 are available in the Libraries of the House.
	All official travel in my Department is undertaken strictly in accordance with the rules contained in the Cabinet Office Management Code. All Ministerial travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the 'Ministerial Code' and 'Travel by Ministers', copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Dr Walter King

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Totnes of 16 June and 30 July concerning Dr. Walter King of Dart Sensors Ltd, Totnes, Devon; and what the reasons are for the delay.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 20 October 2003
	A reply was sent directly to Dr. Walter King of Dart Sensors in September. I apologise that due to an administrative oversight, a copy was not sent to the hon. Member at the time. A copy of this letter has now been forwarded to the hon. Member.

Champagne

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many litres of champagne were imported from France in each year since 1992.

Mike O'Brien: Data on UK imports of champagne are given in the table.
	
		UK Imports of champagne from France
		
			  
		
		
			 1992 11,097,820 
			 1993 14,327,108 
			 1994 17,805,364 
			 1995 14,029,225 
			 1996 15,633,002 
			 1997 16,361,152 
			 1998 18,145,100 
			 1999 24,201,937 
			 2000 14,836,442 
			 2001 17,245,344 
			 2002 24,398,314 
		
	
	Note:
	Champagne is defined as code 22041011 of the harmonised commodity coding system.
	Source
	HM Customs and Excise data

Employment Discrimination

David Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what interim measures she plans to put in place to tackle discrimination on the grounds of (a) sexual orientation, (b) religious belief and (c) age in advance of the establishment of a Commission for Equality and Human Rights in 2006.

Jacqui Smith: Regulations to prohibit discrimination at work on the grounds of sexual orientation and religion or belief come into force on 1 and 2 December 2003. We are working to ensure that employers, individuals and intermediaries have access to information and advice about the Regulations. A guide to the sexual orientation and religion or belief regulations has been available on the DTI website since the summer. Acas has just published practical workplace guidance on implementing the new legislation, after extensive consultation with a wide range of bodies concerned with employment issues, including the TUC and CBI.
	This guidance has been available in draft form on the Acas website since the summer. In addition, DTI is raising awareness with intermediaries, including through regional events and by making available funds for which organisations from advisory, faith and lesbian, gay, bisexual backgrounds have been able to bid to provide relevant training. Acas are conducting a programme of training for intermediaries and employers.
	We are currently considering the position for the age strand, which is due to come into force in October 2006.

Employment Discrimination

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether atheists are to be entitled to the same holiday allowance as religious employees under forthcoming EU legislation.

Jacqui Smith: The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) 2003 regulations, which come into force on 2 December 2003, do not introduce rights for additional time off but will prohibit discrimination on grounds of religion or belief (including atheism). Employers will be required to treat people in an even handed way. If staff want time off for religious festivals employers will have to consider it in the way they would any other request for leave.

Employment Discrimination

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, under the proposed European legislation to protect homosexual employees from discrimination, employers will be expected to identify the sexual orientation of their staff.

Jacqui Smith: No, other than in the very limited circumstances where being of a particular sexual orientation is a genuine occupational requirement for a job. If such a case arises, the employer may have to ask applicants and employees about their sexual orientation in order to find out if they are able to perform the functions of the job in question.

Employment Discrimination

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the proposed Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003;.
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the proposed Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) and Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, which come into force on 1 and 2 December 2003, are a major step forward in combating discrimination at work.
	For the first time the Regulations will put in place protection against discrimination and harassment on the ground of sexual orientation and religion or belief in workplaces in England, Scotland and Wales. The Regulations were developed following widespread consultation since 2000 and they implement the Employment Discrimination Directive of November 2000.

EU Energy Chapter

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the impact of the Energy Chapter of the Draft EU Constitituion on private sector investment in the North Sea oil and gas fields; and what representations she has received.

Stephen Timms: The Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the draft Constitution on the Department's powers to regulate recovery of hydrocarbons from the UK Continental Shelf. The potential impact of such changes on future private sector investment is a matter of some debate—not least owing to the changing roles of established players and a number of new entrants. There is considerable Community competence already in the field of energy, and a number of Directives and Regulations have been brought forward in the areas of energy and environment, often under qualified majority voting. Nevertheless, the Government will only agree to an extension of competence in energy policy if it is consistent with the UK interest, and a number of organisations with UK oil and gas interests have made representations to Ministers.

EU Energy Chapter

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what impact she estimates the Energy Chapter of the Draft EU Constitution will have on the North Sea oil licensing regime.

Stephen Timms: EU competence in energy matters, including natural resources, will fall under Article 111–157 of the draft Constitutional Treaty, with voting by qualified majority. There is considerable Community competence already in the field of energy, and a number of Directives and Regulations have been brought forward in the areas of energy and environment, often under qualified majority voting. There is a carve out to preserve "Member State's choice between different energy sources and the general structure of its energy supply", where our understanding is that the EU would have to act by unanimity. Discussions on the draft Treaty are continuing in the framework of the Intergovernmental Conference: the UK Government would not agree to any proposals that was inconsistent with UK energy interest.

EU Energy Chapter

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what effect she estimates the proposed energy chapter in the European Union constitution will have on licensing arrangements for the exploitation of the UK's offshore oil and gas.

Stephen Timms: EU competence in energy matters, including natural resources, will fall under Article 111–157 of the draft Constitutional Treaty, with voting by qualified majority. There is considerable Community competence already in the field of energy, and a number of Directives and Regulations have been brought forward in the areas of energy and environment, often under qualified majority voting. There is a carve out of preserve "Member State's Choice between different energy sources and the general structure of its energy supply", where our understanding is that the EU would have to act by unanimity. Discussions on the draft Treaty are continuing in the framework of the Intergovernmental Conference: the UK Government would not agree to any proposal that was inconsistent with UK energy interests.

Exports Licences (Morocco)

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the arms export licences applied for, and her decision on each, for export of arms to Morocco in each of the past five years; and what her policy is towards such applications.

Nigel Griffiths: Details of all relevant export licences issued and refused are published by destination in the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls, copies of which are available from the Libraries of the House. For the period between 1 January 2003 and 31 October 2003 details are set out in the tables, as the 2003 Annual Report is not due for publication until next year:
	Three Standard Individual Export licences (SIELS) were issued to end users in Morocco in that period. The export licences covered a range of items with various ratings, are set out as follows.
	
		
			 Rating Item 
		
		
			 ML1 3 
			 ML2 18 
			 ML3 1 
			 ML5 1 
			 ML22 8 
			 PL5017 2 
			 S1P1 2 
		
	
	Four Open Individual Export Licences (OIELS) were issued to end users in Morocco in that period. The export licences covered a range of items with various ratings, are set out as follows:
	
		
			 Rating Item 
		
		
			 ML1 2 
			 ML2 4 
			 ML5 1 
			 ML9 1 
			 ML13 2 
			 ML22 1 
			 PL5001 1 
		
	
	As with all export licence applications, all applications received for the export of arms to Morocco, are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria in the light of circumstances prevailing at the time, taking account of other previously announced Government policies.

Exports Licences (Morocco)

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what checks are in place to ensure that licensed strategic exports of arms to Morocco do not get used in the Western Sahara.

Denis MacShane: When assessing strategic export licence applications to Morocco, the Government carefully consider the risk that the goods may be used in the Western Sahara.
	The criteria that we use to assess all strategic export licence applications specifically set out our commitment to take account of the risk of the goods being used aggressively against another country or being used to assert by force a territorial claim. We do not issue any export licences where a clear risk of such use exists. We use information, from a variety of sources, to monitor the use of UK-origin defence equipment overseas. We take very seriously any reports of misuse.

Industrial Action

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the implications for safety of industrial action at BNFL's Sellafield nuclear site.

Stephen Timms: The Department is in regular contact with HSE's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII), the regulator of safety at licensed nuclear sites, regarding safety issues during the proposed industrial action at Sellafield. The site operator and the trade unions have given clear commitments to ensure safety is not prejudiced by any industrial action.
	NII have reviewed BNFL's contingency arrangements and are satisfied that they provide an adequate framework for safety cover. An enhanced team of NII Inspectors will be on site during normal working hours and will be carrying out safety related inspections during the strike in key areas to ensure minimum manning is in place and that contingency plans are followed. BNFL's risk assessments are also being examined to ensure adequate provisions are in place.
	Standby emergency response arrangements will remain unaffected.

Internet

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how many small businesses she estimates do not have broadband access; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on her Department's plans to increase broadband access in the small business sector.

Stephen Timms: Information on the number of small businesses that do not have broadband access is not held by my Department. Research for the DTI shows that 80 per cent. of homes and businesses in the UK are located in areas, that have access to a mass-market broadband solution.
	Encouraging the provision of broadband access to the whole of the UK is one of the Government's top priorities. For example, DTIs plans include:
	the UK Online for Business Programme, which promotes the benefits of broadband and ICTs more generally to SMEs;
	the DTIs Broadband Aggregation Project, announced in July 2003, which aims to secure value for money for the public sector and ensure this has maximum impact on broadband availability, including for SMEs;
	a joint DTI and Defra Rural Broadband Team, which was set up in May 2003 to address the issue of the availability of broadband in rural areas, including among SMEs;
	a £30 million Broadband Fund administered by the Regional Development Agencies and the Devolved Administrations to develop broadband networks and run pilot projects to benefit SMEs, among others.

Nuclear Weapons

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the involvement of British Nuclear Fuels, through their Westinghouse subsidiary in the USA, in the development of new low yield nuclear weapons.

Stephen Timms: The Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) is a subsidiary of Westinghouse Government Services Company (WGS), in which BNFL has a 40 per cent. passive economic interest. WSRC and WRS are pursuing potential business opportunities in US defence programmes. BNFL's business interests on US DOE sites through its subsidiaries relate to the environmental clean up market such as managing the solid waste program at the Savannah River Site, and not the weapons production business. BNFL is precluded by US Department of Energy (DOE) Security Agreements from involvement in the US defence programme.

Ofgem

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons the change to the Gas Act Order made by a letter by Ofgem on 1 April 1999 was not entered onto the public register until 8 January 2003.

Stephen Timms: This is a matter for Ofgem.

Patents

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the 20 universities (a) which have taken out the most patents in the UK and (b) with the highest incomes raised through the development of patented products, broken down by amount raised in the past 20 years; and if she will list the 10 most commercially successful patents from British universities, giving the name of the product and the amount of income generated.

Patricia Hewitt: Patent Office databases are not structured to provide information on categories of applicants for patents. Generating the data would involve disproportionate cost. Some limited information on numbers of patents filed and income generated by UK universities is available from the Higher Education Business Interaction (HE-BI) survey but only for the last three years. This information was gathered on the basis that it would remain confidential due to its commercially sensitive nature, and as such may not be divulged.
	The Government have asked Richard Lambert to examine how the long-term links between business and British universities can be strengthened to the benefit of the UK's economy. The full set of responses from institutions (who have given the review team permission to publish) is available on the Review's website (www.lambertrevlcw.Q-rR.uk) and the final report, will be submitted to Government shortly.

Pebble Bed Modular Reactor

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with BNFL in respect of the company's involvement with the Pebble Bed modular reactor (PBMR) in South Africa; what information BNFL supplied to her Department on its research collaboration on the PBMR; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I can confirm that BNFL has participated in the PBMR project since 2000, is discussing with its contractual partners how the project will move forward and is keeping my Department in touch.

Power Cuts

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2003, Official Report, column 252W, on power cuts, when she expects to publish the reports detailed in her Answer.

Stephen Timms: Ofgem and DTI are undertaking separate, but co-ordinated, investigations into the recent power cuts in London and Birmingham. PB Power was commissioned to investigate a number of technical issues which will help inform these investigations. PB Power's findings will form part of Ofgem's final investigation report, due to be released by the end of this year.
	The conclusions and recommendations of the Engineering Inspectorate's investigation will not be published without the consent of the companies involved, where such consent is required by section 105 of the Utilities Act 2000.

Royal Mail

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on (a) Postcomm's access proposals to Royal Mail and (b) the precedent it would set for other third party access;
	(2)  what the reasons are for Postcomm's conclusion that the overall effect of their proposals concerning access points and prices would be contribution neutral;
	(3)  what proposals Postcomm has suggested to stop cream-skimming, if the access plans concerning Royal Mail are accepted;
	(4)  what assessment Postcomm made of the legal precedent set by its access proposals to Royal Mail;
	(5)  what the reasons are for Postcomm's proposals that Royal Mail should be contractually bound to deliver 98.5 per cent. of UK mail's items on the due date of delivery; and from where this figure was derived;
	(6)  if she will make a statement on the effect of increased competition on the Royal Mail's system of cross-subsidies;
	(7)  if she will make a statement on Postcomm's proposed access cost;
	(8)  what evidence she has assessed with respect to Postcomm's conclusion that its access plans are revenue neutral;
	(9)  what proposals Postcomm has suggested to discourage Royal Mail's large customers from seeking direct access to their facilities.

Stephen Timms: Access pricing and the related regulatory issues are a matter for the regulator, whose primary responsibility is to ensure the provision of a universal postal service.

Royal Mail

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on (a) the proposal of Postcomm to allow Royal Mail's competitors direct access to their delivery offices and (b) the effect that this would have on the Three Year Renewal Plan, including (i) single daily delivery and (ii) simplified sorting.

Stephen Timms: This is a matter for Postcomm, whose primary responsibility is to ensure the provision of a universal postal service.
	It is for Royal Mail to make representations to Postcomm about the impact of the regulator's proposals on its business.

Royal Mail

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on Royal Mail's proposal that a minimum entry level of 1,000 items to a single access point should be set.

Stephen Timms: Access pricing is a matter for Postcomm and it is for them to consider Royal Mail's proposal.

Royal Mail

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on how Postcomm's proposals concerning third party access by UK mail to Royal Mail's pipeline will effect its primary duty of protecting a universal service at a uniform tariff; and if she will make an assessment of the effect that the third party access will have on Royal Mail's long-term viability, with particular reference to its Three Year Renewal Plan.

Stephen Timms: Access price determination is a matter for Postcomm. It is for Royal Mail to assess the impact on its business and to make representations to Postcomm.

Royal Mail

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who the new Chair of Postcomm is; and if the new Chair will be asked to review the third party access proposals concerning Royal Mail.

Stephen Timms: The new Chair of Postcomm is Nigel Stapleton.
	Access pricing and the related regulatory issues are a matter for the regulator, whose primary responsibility is to ensure the provision of a universal postal service.

Royal Mail

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on Royal Mail's analysis of the effect on its profits of the access determination proposed by Postcomm.

Stephen Timms: It is for the Royal Mail Board to analyse the potential impact on its profits and to make representations to Postcomm.

Small Businesses

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many small businesses went (a) into liquidation and (b) bankrupt in each quarter since quarter 4, 1996–97.

Nigel Griffiths: The official insolvency statistics published by the DTI are not broken down by size of business.

Telecommunications Ombudsman

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases were considered by the Telecommunications Ombudsman in the last year for which figures are available; how many cases were (a) upheld and (b) rejected; what the average time taken was to consider cases; and the average cost per case.

Stephen Timms: The Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman (Otelo) is an independent, industry-funded dispute resolution service which handles complaints from consumers about telecoms companies. This is a matter for Otelo and I have asked the Ombudsman to write to the hon. Member.

Telephone Masts

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of third generation mobile telephone masts that will be required in (a) Somerset, (b) Devon, (c) Dorset, (d) Wiltshire and (e) Cornwall.

Stephen Timms: It is not possible to give a reliable estimate of the number of new masts that will be needed to fulfil the obligations of the 3G licensees, either in total or by area. The number of masts required in an area will be affected by the level of consumer demand for 3G services, by commercial decisions related to the design of the networks, by the physical topography and by the requirements of planning authorities.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

American Ships (Disposal)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the Government's policy is on whether the United States vessels now en route to Hartlepool should continue their voyage;
	(2)  what action she plans to take to manage the environmental risk posed by former United States naval vessels in British waters pending the resolution of the court proceedings due in December;
	(3)  assessment she has made of the implications for the work of (a) her Department and (b) the Environment Agency of the injunction obtained against Able UK by Friends of the Earth on 5 November;
	(4)  what representations the Government has made to the United States Marine Administration to secure the return of United States former naval vessels to the United States.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 November 2003
	Following discussions on Friday 7 November, between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Secretary Mineta of the US Department of Transportation, it has been decided that for safety reasons, the first two ships currently on the way to the UK will continue to Hartlepool for safe storage, pending return to the US. This decision was taken after consideration by the Environment Agency and Government Departments of alternative storage sites. No other site is able to take the ships safely at short notice.
	The US authorities have been told that the proposed shipment of these vessels to Hartlepool for dismantling cannot be completed consistent with international rules and Community law. In this situation the law requires the ships to be returned to the United States. However, the immediate return to the United States of the first two ships, which are now approaching the Channel, would be impracticable, not least because of concerns about the weather.
	When the ships arrive at Hartlepool, the Environment Agency will place requirements on them to ensure the environment is fully protected and that the ships remain ready for return to the USA. No work is permitted on the ships given the current court injunction.
	The UK Government and its Agencies continue to work intensively with the US authorities to examine the safety and liability concerns they have raised to proposals that the second pair of ships, currently in transit to the UK, return to the US, and are looking for rapid resolution of that question.

American Ships (Disposal)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contingency plans have been made by the Environment Agency to deal with United States vessels bound for decommissioning at Hartlepool if they are unable to enter the port.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 November 2003
	The port authority concerned, PD Teesport, has confirmed that the vessels would be permitted to enter the port.

American Ships (Disposal)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at what level in (a) the Environment Agency and (b) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs September's modification to Able UK's waste management licence was approved.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 November 2003
	The Environment Agency is the regulator of waste management issues in England and Wales. The modification was approved and signed by the local Environment Manager with specific responsibility for Teesside, in accordance with Agency procedures. The decision to sign the modification was cleared with the local Area Manager and appropriate Agency Directors.
	The Government have no direct role in the approval of applications for waste management licence modifications, though there is a right of appeal to the Secretary of State should a licence modification application be rejected.

American Ships (Disposal)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the waste management licence originally issued by the Environment Agency to Able UK covered the dismantling of ships.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 November 2003
	No. The original licence issued by the Environment Agency for the site at Hartlepool did not specifically cover the dismantling of the ships. However, the licence authorises the dismantling of offshore structures, and any associated plant and equipment.

Bovine Tuberculosis

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the implications for the UK of their proposals to eradicate bovine TB.

Ben Bradshaw: We have announced a review of the TB strategy for Great Britain. In developing the strategy, one of the important questions we will need to consider is how realistic a goal total eradication of the disease would be within the 10-year period over which the strategy will apply, and the most appropriate ways of achieving it. We expect to go out to public consultation on the strategy around the end of year.
	In the meantime Defra is continuing to work hard to address the problem of bovine TB through its current programme of public health protection measures, cattle testing, cattle controls and extensive research.

Climate Change

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the agencies that have responsibilities for planning for the consequences of climate change on coastal areas; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: All agencies whose areas of work and influence will be affected by climate change, in coastal areas and elsewhere, have a responsibility to plan for the consequences of those changes.
	Development planning in coastal areas is the responsibility of local planning authorities, while land and shoreline management is the responsibility of land owners, the Environment Agency and local athorities.
	This Department provides guidance and assistance to planners in coastal areas by funding the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP), other research and development programmes and by promoting the production of Shoreline Management Plans which are designed to assist local planners in making decisions on future development and coastal defence needs over a 30–100 year period, taking account of natural processes and climate change effects. The Department has provided guidance on sea-level rise allowances for design of coastal defences since 1989 and these were confirmed this year in the light of the UKCIP 2002 climate-change scenarios.

Climate Change

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the area of coastal land that will be lost owing to the impact of climate change by 2050.

Elliot Morley: Estimates made by the Department suggest that some 400,000 ha of agricultural land and about 1 million properties are currently at risk of flooding from the sea. These all depend on coastal defences. In addition some 5,000 ha of agricultural land and 75,000 properties are at risk of coastal erosion. An assessment for Defra in 2001 suggested that the economic risk of coastal flooding could increase up to fivefold by the latter half of the century without any adaptation of defences. However, any loss of coastal land would depend almost entirely on the strategic coastal defence decisions made for each risk area.
	The Office of Science and Technology's Foresight project on flood and coastal defence is currently examining the factors that drive change in flood and coastal erosion risk, but it has not made any estimates of land loss.

Climate Change

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the insurance industry regarding the insurance costs arising from climate change; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Association of British Insurers (ABI) is involved with the work of the Defra-funded UK Climate Impacts Programme, which helps stakeholder organisations assess how they might be affected by climate change, so that they can develop adaptation strategies.
	In addition, there have been extensive discussions with ABI over the past few years on the Government's flood management policy, the background to which includes awareness that future climate change could enhance flood risks in some areas.

Dairy Farming

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers there were in dairy farming in each year since 1992, broken down by (a) conventional and (b) organic farming.

Elliot Morley: Data for the total number of farmers, partners, directors and spouses combined are collected annually from the June agricultural and horticultural census as a total. The following figures relate to holdings where dairy is the predominant activity, a breakdown between conventional and organic farming is not available.
	
		Total farmers, partners, directors and spouses (full and part-time) in England on dairy type holdings
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Main holdings only  
			 1992 40,464 
			 1993 35,665 
			 1994 39,744 
			 1995 37,844 
			 1996 36,656 
			 1997 35,104 
			 1998 34,405 
			 1999 33,216 
			 Main and minor holdings  
			 2000 31,418 
			 2001 29,732 
			 2002 30,014 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Spouses are only included if they are working on the holding.
	2. Due to a register improvement exercise in 2001 figures prior to this are not directly comparable with later results.
	Source:
	June Agricultural Census

Foreign Ships (Disposal)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contracts involving the dismemberment of foreign ships have been entered into by breakers' yards in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

Elliot Morley: Records are only available for those ships that are notified under the transfrontier shipment of waste control system. In the last five years, only one contract has been entered into by a breakers yard in the UK.

Foreign Ships (Disposal)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library copies of the assessments made by the Environment Agency of the environmental risk of the project by Able UK to decommission and recycle American ships in Hartlepool.

Elliot Morley: I will arrange for copies of the assessment to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Expenditure (Official Residences)

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Department spent on (a) maintenance, (b) renovation, (c) council tax and (d) running costs of residential properties used by Ministers and officials in each year since 1997.

Alun Michael: The amount spent on residential properties for Ministers and officials for the 2002–03 financial year is as follows:
	
		
			  Costs for 2002–03 
		
		
			 Maintenance 0 
			 Renovation 0 
			 Council tax 0 
			 Running costs 276,398.01 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The running costs are those paid by the Department to the Cabinet Office in respect of the capital charge and the costs for utilities, the Whitehall District Heating System, security and facilities management.
	2. The figures are subject to final audit.
	Information about the costs of official residences used by Ministers for previous financial years is already in the public domain.

Genetically Modified Crops

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether in the GM farm scale evaluations (a) commercially useful yield, (b) starch and (c) dry matter measurements of the final GM maize crop were independently obtained to confirm whether the use of this herbicide regime would allow an economically viable crop to be grown.

Elliot Morley: Such measurements were not made. The GM and conventional maize in each field evaluation were compared at every stage of growth and results were only included in the analysis where these correlates of yield were comparable and consistent with the protocol requiring 'cost-effective weed control'.

Genetically Modified Crops

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what yield penalty she predicts for GM crops if they are grown in the future using the management and herbicide regimes employed during the Field Scale Evaluation programme.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 6 November 2003
	Any new variety of a GM crop which has been approved for cultivation under Directive 2001/18 also has to comply with the relevant seeds legislation before it can be added to the National List or the EU common catalogue of plant varieties. The new variety must conform with certain requirements which include an assessment of its value for cultivation and use. The yield achieved in commercial cultivation of a crop depends on many factors including the particular variety chosen, the management system, the quality of the farmland, weather conditions and so on. Therefore predictions cannot be made.

Genetically Modified Crops

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on (a) research into the overall efficacy of the Liberty (GA) herbicide regime in the Farm Scale Evaluation of GM maize and (b) research in the UK and other countries on the rate of development of resistance to the herbicide Liberty in common weeds.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 6 November 2003
	The published results of the farm-scale evaluations present the most in-depth study of the efficacy of Liberty (GA), as used in the evaluations, ever conducted. For full details see Heard et al. 2003; "Weeds in fields with contrasting conventional and genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops. 1. Effects on abundance and diversity"; Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (B). 358 (1439): 1819–1832. A copy of this journal has been placed in the Library.
	As part of the procedure to issue consent for the release of a herbicide tolerant GM crop the applicants must present evidence that the use of the associated herbicide (eg Liberty in this case) does not lead to environmental harm through the development of resistance in common weeds. This includes a consideration based on any available research findings. The issue of weed resistance to herbicides is not unique to GM crops.

Genetically Modified Crops

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measurements of GM crop yield were made during the recently completed Farm Scale Evaluation research programme to assess the commercial viability of the herbicide regimes adopted.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 6 November 2003
	The FSE research team measured surrogates of crop yield rather than yield directly. In particular these included repeated measurements of crop development for both the GM and non-GM crops. The data show little difference between the GM and non-GM. For further details see Champion et al. (2003) "Crop management and agronomic context of the Farm Scale Evaluations of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (B). 358 (1439): 1801–1818. A copy of this journal has been placed in the Library.
	The FSE research team compared the crop development with the audited management practices and concluded that the trials of the GM crops in the FSE were consistent with cost effective weed control. The scientific probity of this conclusion was independently verified by the publishing journal and endorsed by the scientific steering committee who advised Ministers accordingly.

Genetically Modified Crops

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) herbicide mixes and (b) levels of application per hectare she proposes to permit for commercial cultivation of GM maize; and whether these differ from the levels used in the farm scale evaluations.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 6 November 2003
	All pesticide products are approved on an individual basis. Only when we are satisfied that a pesticide is safe for the proposed use will approval for that use be granted. Growers may only use approved herbicides in a mixture in compliance with the statutory conditions of approval for each of the products.
	In practice throughout the farm-scale evaluations growers used the herbicide glufosinate ammonium alone on the GM maize fields.
	The recommended individual and maximum permitted application rates of the herbicide glufosinate ammonium used on GM maize in the farm-scale evaluations were defined by the conditions of the simulated product licence that formed part of the experimental pesticide approval. This specified a maximum permitted rate of 8 litres per hectare and a recommended individual rate of 4 litres per hectare, depending on the weeds present and their growth stage. Application was permitted until the nine-leaf stage of maize. Before glufosinate ammonium could be used on a commercial scale on GM maize it would need full pesticide approval. In seeking approval the necessary data package would have to be supplied by the applicant and be subjected to the considerations of human and environmental safety which have been established for all pesticide uses. Any approval given would specify recommended and maximum application rates in the same way as the experimental permit. These conditions would be determined by the Pesticide Safety Directorate taking due account of advice from their expert advisory committee the Advisory Committee on Pesticides.
	Where appropriate we shall be seeking to specify the management systems for the cultivation of GM crops through the conditions imposed with the consent.

Genetically Modified Crops

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when during the GM farm scale evaluations she was informed that neither the use of Liberty alone on GM maize nor the use of Atrazine on the non-GM control crop would replicate the herbicide use and management regimes which would be used in commercial plantings in the UK in future years.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 6 November 2003
	The farm-scale evaluations were set up to assess the relative impact on wildlife of GM and non-GM management of four crops, based on practices current at the time. They were not set up to investigate the impact of any potential future management changes for either crop, although they will provide an invaluable baseline in our understanding of any such future changes.
	The decision to phase out Atrazine in the EU was taken on 3 October 2003, over a year after the completion of the last maize field trials. During the time of the trials (1999–2002) conventional maize practice predominately involved the use of Atrazine; this therefore formed a large part of the sample of FSE fields.
	In 2002 some evidence emerged that farmers in the US often mixed Atrazine with glufosinate ammonium for use on GM maize crops. In the FSE, farmers of GM maize used glufosinate ammonium alone. The industry asserted that the UK and US differed in conditions and that glufosinate ammonium alone was typical of the likely practice in the UK. The scientific steering committee, whose role it is to advise me on the conduct of the FSE, considered that in the absence of evidence either way to justify the need for Atrazine to be used in conjunction with glufosinate ammonium in the UK that trials would continue as before. Accordingly, I was not advised that any action was necessary.
	Now that Atrazine is being phased out it clearly will not be permitted on any fodder maize crop, GM or otherwise. However, the issue of whether other licensed herbicides could be mixed with glufosinate ammonium on GM crops remains.

Genetically Modified Crops

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she will take to protect organic farming from possible effects of GM crops.

Elliot Morley: We will consider the co-existence of GM and organic crops in the light of guidelines issued by the European Commission and a report we expect to receive shortly from the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission.

Genetically Modified Crops

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent bilateral meetings she has had with the United States Department of Agriculture at which the subject of GM crops was discussed; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State from time to time discusses issues raised by genetically modified crops with her counterparts from the United States and other nations. However, there have been no recent bilateral meetings with the US Department of Agriculture on this issue.

Genetically Modified Crops

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in (a) the Scottish Executive and (b) the Welsh Assembly on the regulation of GM crops.

Elliot Morley: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I hold regular discussions with our counterparts in the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly Government on a range of issues, including GM crops.

Hunting

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Government makes of the environmental impact of trophy hunting of endangered animals around the world; what steps the Government is taking to encourage the control of hunting of endangered species; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The United Kingdom is a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which regulates the trade in endangered species including those threatened by trophy hunting.
	The Convention is implemented within the EU by means of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97. The European Commission closely monitors the trade in CITES species and where scientific advisers judge that trade would be detrimental to the survival of a particular species in the wild, measures may be taken to suspend such trade.
	A good example of this was provided earlier in the year when, on the basis of advice provided by the Scientific Review Group on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora, the EU suspended trade in brown bear hunting trophies from Slovenia on the grounds that this trade was unsustainable.

Meadowland Protection

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to introduce protection for meadowland.

Elliot Morley: All uncultivated and semi-natural land is protected by the Environmental Impact Assessment (Uncultivated Land and Semi-natural Areas) Regulations 2001 (S.I.No 2001/3966). In addition, many meadows are protected by statutory designation as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. We also provide payments to farmers under agri-environment schemes for positive management and in some cases restoration or recreation of hay meadows.

National Fruit Show

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support Ministers have given to the National Fruit Show (The Marden Fruit Show) since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 27 October 2003
	Ministers have given no direct support to the National Fruit Show. However, exhibits at the show have illustrated how the fruit sector has benefited from Defra-funded research, including the breeding and development of new varieties, issues relating to storage and pest control, and the publication of best practice guides. Growers are also able to take advantage of funding opportunities that exist through England Rural Development Programme schemes, the Agriculture Development Scheme and the Organic Farming Scheme.

Public Water System

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) plans she has and (b) targets she has set to reduce fat and oil contamination in the public water system.

Elliot Morley: Changes to guidance to the Buildings Regulations recommend that measures to control grease should be installed in commercial hot food premises. There are no requirements in these Regulations or in water legislation that relate specifically to disposal of oils and fats from dwellings. However, under general provisions in section 111 of the Water Industry Act 1991, it is an offence for a person to empty into a public sewer, or any drain or sewer connecting with a public sewer, any matter which is likely to injure the sewer or drain, to interfere with the free flow of its contents or to affect prejudicially the treatment and disposal of its contents. Any person who is found guilty of an offence is liable to a fine or imprisonment.

Recycling

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of household waste was recycled in each year between 1985 and 1995 in England.

Elliot Morley: Government do not have this information. However, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy have published the following percentage recycling rates for England and Wales:
	
		
			  Percentage recycled 
		
		
			 1983–84 0.8 
			 1991–92 2.6 
			 1993–94 3.4 
		
	
	The Department's Municipal Waste Management Survey was first carried out for the year 1995–6. Since this survey's publication the recycling percentage given for 1995–6 has been adjusted in an attempt to make it more accurate, to 6.4 per cent. for England and Wales.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what statutory investigatory powers the Department has; which ones will be superseded by use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and what plans she has for removing these legacy powers.

Alun Michael: There is no equivalent of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 codifying the investigatory powers of Defra investigators. There is a patchwork of powers. In relation to a range of offences Defra investigators (and inspectors) have fairly standard statutory powers to enter and inspect business premises, powers to inspect and copy business documents and powers to require provision of information in relation to the conduct of the business—all these powers are normally set out in the specific legislation which creates the offence under investigation. Investigators have a surviving common law right to seize and retain any evidence relating to suspected offences. For some suspected offences a search warrant is also available eg under the Medicines Act 1968.
	None of these powers was superseded by any powers in RIPA 2000 and so there are no plans for removing 'legacy powers'.

Stewardship Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money the United Kingdom has received from the EU under the Stewardship Scheme in each of the last three years.

Elliot Morley: The Countryside Stewardship Scheme in England has received the following EU funding:
	
		£ million
		
			  2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Total 9.4 15.7 22.0 
			 of which:
			 EAGGF 9.4 11.5 10.7 
			 Modulation 0.0 4.2 11.3 
		
	
	Notes:
	European Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)—these are funds allocated by the European Commission for rural development measures.
	Modulation—these are funds made available by reducing CAP Pillar 1 payments and redirecting them to certain rural development schemes.
	Years are EAGGF running from 16 October to 15 October each year.

South West Water

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the recent proposed investment programme and water bill charges for the period 2005 to 2010 by South West Water.

Elliot Morley: The Government have noted the proposed investment programme and bill charges for South West Water for the period 2005 to 2010. These figures are drawn from South West Water's own draft business plan for the 2004 periodic review of water price limits and represent the company's opening bid in what will be another 12 months of challenge, decisions and negotiation by the regulator Ofwat.
	Full assessments of all company draft business plans will be made following receipt of guidance from the economic, environmental and quality regulators in early November and these assessments will underlie the Secretary of State's Principal Guidance, which will be issued early next year. The Secretary of State's initial guidance to the Director General of Ofwat, setting out the Government's early objectives for the review, was published in January this year.

Water Supplies

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with water companies on the adequacy of future supplies; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency is the statutory body which has a duty to secure the proper use of water resources in England and Wales.
	Since the Water Summit in 1997, there have been a number of developments in terms of securing long-term future water resources. Each water company in England and Wales has produced a water resources plan setting out how it proposes to maintain the supply and demand balance of water for the next 25 years. These plans were assessed by the Environment Agency and are reviewed on an annual basis.
	As part of the fourth periodic review of water company prices, water companies are submitting updated water resource plans to the Environment Agency. The agency will report to Ministers on these plans as part of their advice for the fourth periodic review. The Ministerial guidance for the periodic review will be published in early 2004, and cover any related water supply issues.

Wild Birds (Imports)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce the importation of wild caught (a) parrots and (b) other birds into the UK.

Elliot Morley: The international trade in all parrots and many other species of wild birds is strictly regulated under Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97, which implements the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) within the EU. It is an offence to import CITES specimens without the appropriate documentation and trade is only permitted if we are satisfied that the specimens have been lawfully acquired and that the trade will not be detrimental to the wild populations of the species concerned.

Wild Birds (Imports)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the numbers of wild caught (a) parrots and (b) other birds brought into the UK broken down by each country from which these imports originated in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Elliot Morley: The available information is set out in the attached tables: Table A for parrots, Table B for other birds.
	
		Table AImports of parrots
		
			 Country Year Number 
		
		
			 United Arab Emirates 2001 1 
			 Angola 1999 1 
			 Argentina 1998 120 
			  1999 410 
			  2000 441 
			  2001 58 
			 Australia 2002 3 
			 Benin 1999 1 
			 Democratic Republic of Congo 1999 1 
			  2000 1 
			 Congo 2002 1 
			 Cote D'lvoire 2002 200 
			 Cameroon 1998 410 
			  1999 2,065 
			  2000 700 
			  2001 600 
			  2002 2,200 
			 Egypt 2000 1 
			 Ghana 2000 1 
			 Gambia 2001 1 
			 Guinea 1998 2,274 
			
			  2001 600 
			  2002 534 
			 Guyana 1998 1,192 
			  1999 1,308 
			  2000 1,115 
			  2001 2,702 
			  2002 2,655 
			 Indonesia 1998 182 
			 Kenya 1998 1 
			  1999 1 
			  2000 1 
			  2001 1 
			 Mali 1999 1 
			  2001 200 
			  2002 550 
			 Mauritius 2000 1 
			 Malaysia 1998 620 
			  2002 228 
			 Nigeria 1998 2 
			  1999 1 
			  2001 1 
			 Nicaragua 2001 115 
			  2002 854 
			 New Zealand 1998 40 
			 Panama 1998 1 
			 Peru 2002 249 
			 Paraguay 1998 2 
			  2002 1,961 
			 Senegal 2001 200 
			 Surinam 2002 723 
			 Total  25,531 
		
	
	
		Table BImports of other birds
		
			 Country Year Number 
		
		
			 Argentina 1998 2 
			 Democratic Republic of Congo 2001 6 
			 Congo 2000 8 
			  2001 2 
			 Cameroon 1998 11 
			  2001 19 
			  2002 33 
			 Cape Verde Islands 2002 5 
			 Ghana 2001 31 
			 Guinea 1999 30 
			  2000 8 
			  2002 50 
			 Guyana 1998 62 
			  1999 51 
			  2000 95 
			  2001 100 
			  2002 67 
			 Iceland 1999 1 
			 Indonesia 2000 1 
			 Kazakhstan 1999 3 
			 Nicaragua 2001 6 
			  2002 21 
			 Netherlands 2000 1 
			 Norway 1998 12 
			 Peru 1999 13 
			  2000 56 
			  2001 5 
			  2002 12 
			 Poland 2002 1 
			 Paraguay 2002 387 
			 Russian Federation 1998 10 
			  1999 33 
			 Surinam 2002 14 
			 Tanzania 1998 16 
			  1999 24 
			  2000 6 
			  2002 35 
			 South Africa 1998 1 
			  2000 2 
			 Total  1,240

Wild Birds (Imports)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of wild caught (a) parrots and (b) other birds imported into EU countries in each of the last five years.

Elliot Morley: Our CITES records show that the number of wild caught parrots imported into the UK in each of the last five years were as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1998 4,844 
			 1999 3,789 
			 2000 2,261 
			 2001 4,479 
			 2002 10,158 
			 Total 25,531 
		
	
	The numbers of other wild-caught birds imported into the UK were:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1998 114 
			 1999 155 
			 2000 177 
			 2001 169 
			 2002 625 
			 Total 1,240 
		
	
	The Department does not keep records of imports into other EU countries.

Wild Birds (Imports)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of Government support for the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species on the volume in trade of wild caught (a) parrots and (b) other birds imported into (i) Europe and (ii) the UK since the UK signed the Convention.

Elliot Morley: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) aims to protect certain plants and animals by regulating and monitoring their international trade to prevent it reaching unsustainable levels. Currently CITES regulates international trade in over 30,000 species, of which approximately 25,000 are plants. The Convention came into force in 1975, and the UK became a party in 1976. Pre-Convention figures concerning the importation of parrots and other birds are not available.
	No specific study has been made of the impact of the Convention on the trade in these species. However, all EU member states are required to provide annual reports on the trade in CITES species. These are closely monitored by the European Commission, and powers are available to enable member states to take urgent action in the event that a particular pattern of trade is judged to be unsustainable.

Wolves

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the two grey wolves for which the former Department of the Environment issued a permit for importation from Canada in 1991 were (a) from a Canadian zoo and (b) from a wild population; which zoo was the intended British destination; whether grey wolves were classified as an endangered species in Canada in 1991; whether the wolves were imported; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 11 November 2003
	The Department issued a licence on 9 December 1991 for the importation of two wolves from Canada. In response to the specific points raised the answers are as follows:
	(a) The wolves came from a Canadian ranching operation which does not appear to be a zoo
	(b) The animals were captive bred not taken from wild populations and were brought into Howletts Zoo for breeding purposes.
	At the time of import wolves were listed upon Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Appendix II species are defined as species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.

Work-related Stress

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in her Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost, what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Defra has received a total of two centrally reported cases of work-related stress among staff over the past three years. No compensation has been paid in these cases. Our current sickness absence system does not differentiate between stress and work-related stress.
	The Department has set a target to reduce the number of working days lost from work-related injury and ill-health by 30 per cent. by 2010. This mirrors the Revitalising Health and Safety Strategy target.
	Defra was established in June 2001. Since then, the Management Board has established a sub-committee on Stress which recommended a number of actions. The Stress Policy was updated and relaunched this year.
	It is not possible to quantify the cost of this strategy without detailed analysis of all work groups which is not practicable.

TREASURY

Pension Funds

Ann Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will calculate the amount in taxation he has levied from pension funds since May 1997.

Ruth Kelly: The amount of tax paid by pension funds since May 1997 is not held centrally. However, the Government do provide £13 billion in net tax relief every year for pension funds.

World Debt

Lawrie Quinn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with African Finance Ministers on debt and the millennium development targets.

Paul Boateng: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer the Chancellor gave my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, West (Valerie Davey), earlier today, Offical Report, col. 409.

Private Health Care

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to public funds of tax relief on private medical insurance was in the last year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The cost of tax relief on private medical insurance premiums in the last full year the relief was given, 1996–97, was around £110 million.

Public Sector Borrowing

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how his projections for public sector borrowing have changed since the 2002 Budget.

Ruth Kelly: An interim forecast update for the public finances will be published in the pre-Budget Report as usual.

ECOFIN

Wayne David: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the issues he raised at the recent ECOFIN Council meeting in Brussels.

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor of the Exchequer attended the meeting of ECOFIN Ministers on 4 November. Discussion covered France's Excessive Deficit under the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP), an initial exchange of views on the proposed Transparency directive and taxation of Savings.
	ECOFIN also endorsed an Economic Policy Committee paper on the impact of ageing on public finances, and agreed conclusions on the role of customs in controlling external borders.
	Prior to the meeting there was a breakfast discussion of pension reform in the context of the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines, and a formal dialogue with all the Candidate Countries.
	Over lunch, Finance Ministers discussed the economic and finance elements of the Intergovernmental Conference. The Chancellor, in particular, stressed that tax harmonisation and EU control over fiscal policy would be damaging for Europe's economic interests.

National Insurance

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for future rates of National Insurance Contributions; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Any changes to National Insurance rates will be announced, as usual, at the time of the pre-Budget Report.

Government Economic Targets

Tim Boswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he intends to take to improve independent evaluation of compliance with Government economic targets.

Ruth Kelly: The Government's key economic targets are contained within the Treasury's latest Public Service Agreement (PSA), agreed as part of the 2002 Spending Review (SR2002). The Technical Note for these targets, published on the HM Treasury website, sets out exactly how performance will be judged, and the National Audit Office will validate the data systems underpinning each of the SR2002 PSA targets at least once during its lifetime. Furthermore, many of the key data used to measure performance against these targets are published as National Statistics, and thus compiled in accordance with the National Statistics Code of Practice.

Euro

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) personal and (b) business euro accounts had been opened at the latest date for which figures are available.

Ruth Kelly: The latest quarterly review by the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) identified that, as at end September 2003, there were around (a) 76,000 personal, and (b) 116,000 corporate euro bank accounts held in the United Kingdom.

Performance Monitoring

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost was of (a) setting, (b) monitoring and (c) measuring the performance targets for his Department in 2002–03; and how many and what grades of civil servants monitor these targets.

Ruth Kelly: Performance targets for the Chancellor's departments were agreed as part of the Spending Review 2002. The monitoring and measurement of these Public Service Agreement targets forms part of departmental performance management. Performance management is an integral part of the day-to-day running of the departments, and as such it is not possible to separate out specific costs. The monitoring of progress towards, and performance against, the Chancellor's department's PSA targets is undertaken by staff at all levels of the organisation.

Performance Monitoring

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the performance targets that (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet; and if he will specify for each target (i) who sets it and (ii) who monitors achievement against it.

Ruth Kelly: Key performance targets for Her Majesty's Treasury are agreed as part of the Spending Review and the latest set were published in Spending Review 2002: Public Service Agreements 2003–2006 (Cm5571). Targets measure progress towards objectives. Performance is reported regularly, both in the Departmental Report, the Autumn Performance Report and on the HM-Treasury website at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/performance/Treasury.cfm.
	Information on the performance targets of the Chancellor's other departments along with the agencies and non-departmental public bodies is given in the following table.
	
		
			 Government Departments, agenciesand NDPBs  
		
		
			 Inland Revenue Key performance targets for the Inland Revenue are agreed as part of the Spending Review. The performance targets for 2003–06 were published in the Inland Revenue Spring Departmental Report 2003 (Cm 5925), Performance against targets is reported regularly. 
			 HM Customs and Excise Key performance targets for HM Customs and Excise are agreed as part of the Spending Review and the latest set were published in Spending Review 2002: Public Service Agreements 2003–2006 (Cm 5571). The department monitors progress towards the target along with HM Treasury and progress is reported regularly. The department has no agencies or NDPBs. 
			 Office of Government Commerce The Office of Government Commerce does not have separate PSA targets, they are included within HM Treasury targets. 
			 Office for National Statistics Key performance targets for the Office for National Statistics were set as part of the Spending Review 2002 and are monitored as part of departmental performance management. They are published on the National Statistics website www.statistics.gov.uk/about_ns/ONS/2002_spending_review_sda.asp. 
			 The Royal Mint Key performance targets for the Royal Mint are detailed in their Annual Report for 2002–03 (Cm821). Ministers set these performance targets on the advice of HM Treasury in consultation with its Shareholder Panel and the Royal Mint. The Royal Mint, the Treasury and its Shareholder Panel, including through meetings with the Minister, monitor achievement of these targets. 
			 The Debt Management Office The Debt Management Office's performance targets are published in its annual business plan. The targets are developed jointly by the Debt Management Office and HM Treasury and approved by Treasury Ministers, Performance against the targets is monitored by the Debt Management Office and reported on a regular basis. 
			 The Valuation Office Agency The Valuation Office Agency currently has eight key performance indicators that are underpinned by 20 specific targets, These are published in the Forward Plan 2003–2008, Targets are approved by the Paymaster General and announced in Parliament. The monitoring of achievement against these targets takes place by staff at all levels under the direction of the management board and are subject to internal audit by their parent department the Inland Revenue. 
			 National Savings and Investments National Savings and Investments is an Executive Agency of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and as such agrees its performance targets within the Spending Review and annual planning process. These targets are published in its Departmental Report 
			 Government Actuary's Department The Government Actuary's Department's performance targets are published in its annual business plan. The targets are developed in consultation with the relevant HMT Spending Team and are discussed on an annual basis. Achievements against these targets are also reported in its Spring Departmental Report.

Shipping Industry (NIC)

Peter Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the change in employers' national insurance contributions in the shipping industry.

Dawn Primarolo: A Regulatory Impact Assessment covering the effects of the recent change in liability for employers' national insurance contributions on the shipping industry was published on the 18 September, when the relevant regulations were laid before Parliament.

Timber

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Guildford of 3 November 2003, Official Report, columns 457–58W, on timber, what environmental criteria his Department has specified in respect of banknote manufacture, with particular reference to use and reuse of water.

Ruth Kelly: The Bank of England issues banknotes in England and Wales on behalf of HM Treasury.
	The contracted supplier of banknotes to the Bank of England is De La Rue International (DLR). DLR sources the paper from an internal subsidiary, Portals Ltd. based at Overton in Hampshire.
	Banknote paper manufacture is subject to a PPC (Integrated Pollution and Prevention Control) permit, which among other criteria addresses the efficient use of water. The relevant enforcement authority is the Environment Agency.

VAT

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reduce VAT on goods purchased by charitable organisations for export to deserving causes in developing countries.

John Healey: Charities do not bear the cost of VAT on goods purchased for export outside the European Community. Charities are entitled to register for VAT and reclaim any VAT they are charged on goods they buy for export to developing countries.
	This includes any VAT charged on the goods themselves and VAT charged on any other costs associated with the export of the goods.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Drug Misuse

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional resources his Department plans to use to counter drug misuse.

Caroline Flint: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced a major increase in overall direct annual funding that will underpin the Government's updated Drug Strategy on 3 December 2002 as follows.
	
		Government direct expenditure
		
			  (£ billion) 
		
		
			 2003–04 1.244 
			 2004–05 1.344 
			 2005–06 1.483 
		
	
	The Home Office is working in close partnership with other Government Departments, including the Department of Health, Department for Education and Skills and HM Customs and Excise, to ensure that these resources are invested to counter drug misuse and deliver Drug Strategy objectives and targets.
	Significant tranches of Home Office investment announced recently include £190.2 million to fight crime and drug abuse and £107 million to help steer young people away from a life of drugs and crime.

Motor Vehicles (Blacked-out Windows)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives to police forces on action to be taken against motorists who drive vehicles with densely blacked out windows; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The blacking out of vehicle windows is governed by the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. Regulation 32 prescribes minimum light transmittance (vlt) values, through the windscreen and to the windows to either side of the driver.
	In order to clarify the legislation applying to vehicle window tinting we plan to amend regulation 32 to make it clear that the vlt values apply not only to the 'glazing' itself but also to any 'tint' or 'tinted film' applied to the glazing. The Association of Chief Police Officers are aware of this proposed amendment.
	The enforcement of construction and use offences is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police. The police recognise the importance of such enforcement and ensure that these offences receive appropriate attention. They are aware of guidance employed by the Vehicle Operator Services Agency.

Passports

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action the Immigration Crime Team is taking to target criminals who fraudulently obtain passports; and how many fraudulent applications for passports have been detected after the passport has been issued in the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: The remit of the Immigration Crime Team (ICT) is to tackle serious and organised immigration crime including, where relevant, identity fraud and theft. Since its inception in January 2002 it has conducted three major operations into identity fraud. Others are under development. The first concerned the identity theft of British passports and led to the arrest of 29 persons in a series of co-ordinated raids. The second involved the arrest of two men for the manufacture and supply of forged British passports and the dismantling of their criminal enterprise. Both pleaded guilty, one received a five year sentence and the other 18 months. The operation resulted in one of the largest ever seizures of high quality forged passports believed to have a street value of over £2 million.The third operation is currently sub judice.
	Such operations are complex, involving lengthy investigation and demanding a high level of inter-agency co-operation. The ICT operates as part of Reflex, the Government's inter-agency task force created to combat organised immigration crime. Targeting identity fraud is a key priority for Reflex and while the ICT has been at the forefront of major operations other successes have been recorded by other Reflex partners. For example using Reflex funding the Metropolitan police have established a joint intelligence unit under Operation Maxim involving the Immigration Service and UK Passport Service (UKPS) with a remit to investigate identity fraud alongside related criminality.
	UKPS records the number of fraudulent passport applications which have been detected after passports have been issued. Figures for passports detected in each of the last five years are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1999 153 
			 2000 179 
			 2001 161 
			 2002 1,360 
			 2003 to date 489 
		
	
	The significant increase in cases detected in the last two years is a result of the UKPS' access to infant death data and greater proactivity in tackling fraud. The UKPS is taking forward a range of initiatives to improve fraud prevention and detection. These include better arrangements for the recording and dissemination of lost, stolen and recovered passport information; increasing the professionalism of its fraud and intelligence units; changing the law to make passport fraud offences arrestable; investigating the use of biometrics to improve passport security; and using from February 2004 secure delivery for the despatch of all passports; and finally continuing to work actively with law enforcement agencies to apprehend, disrupt and dismantle the activities of those involved in passport fraud.

Prison Population

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the Criminal Justice Bill on the size of the prison population.

Paul Goggins: The projected net effect on the prison population of the implementation of the provisions to reform the sentencing framework is an increase of about 1,000 by 2009. These measures include the generic community sentence and more flexible types of custody such as intermittent custody, custody minus and custody plus. The long-term impact, once all these provisions have been implemented and sufficient time has passed for their full effects to be seen, is estimated to be an increase in the prison population of about 500.
	Of the other parts of the Bill that have any significant impact, the firearms offences provisions in the Bill will provide for a mandatory minimum custodial sentence for unauthorised possession of a prohibited firearm. The estimated effect on the prison population of the implementation of these provisions, and the implementation of the provision providing for an increase in penalties for certain driving-related offences causing death, is an increase of about 500 in the prison population.
	The life sentence provisions in the Bill will provide for the determination of a minimum custodial term in relation to mandatory life sentences. It is unlikely that the effect of these provisions on the prison population will be felt for at least a decade.
	The restriction on bail for drug users will be piloted in selected court areas. This provision aims to reduce re-offending by encouraging drug-misusing offenders into effective drug treatment programmes. Part of the pilot evaluation will focus on the likely impact of this measure on the prison population if it were to be extended more widely. A further study is being conducted to assess the likely effect on the prison population of the introduction of a presumption against the grant of bail to defendants who have failed to surrender.

HEALTH

Commission for Social Care Inspection

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason the four shadow commissioners, and the shadow chief inspector, of the Commission for Social Care Inspection are based in the South East of England; and for what reason no shadow commissioners have been appointed from other regions.

Stephen Ladyman: The appointments of the shadow chair and commissioners of Commissioner for Social Care Inspection were made by the independent NHS Appointments Commission, not by Ministers. The shadow chair and commissioners appointed the shadow chief inspector.
	These appointments have been made on the basis of ensuring that the best available people are appointed. It was important to ensure that the commissioners together were able not only to provide an appropriate range of experience and skill, but also diversity of background. Geographical origin was one of a number of factors considered. The fifth commissioner, who was appointed after the first four, is based in Sheffield and the shadow chair comes from Cheshire.
	The appointment of the shadow chief inspector, as for any chief executive appointment, took no account of geographical origin as this was not regarded as relevant. As it happens, the chief inspector is from the North of England where he has spent much of his career.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter of 1 October from the hon. Member for Walsall, North regarding a constituent, ref: PO103700.

Melanie Johnson: A reply was sent to my hon. Friend on 12 November 2003.

Delayed Discharge

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients over 65 remain in an NHS hospital as a result of delayed discharge.

Stephen Ladyman: 4,170 adult patients remained in an acute hospital bed on any one day as a result of delayed discharge in June 2003. 3,150 of these patients were aged 75 or over.

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Costs

Howard Flight: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost was to his Department for (a) ministerial cars and drivers, (b) taxis, (c) train travel, (d) the use of helicopters, (e) airline tickets and (f) chartered aeroplanes in each year since 1997.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) gave him today, at column 397–98W.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if the Secretary of State will make it his policy to require the House of Lords Appointments Commission to give applicants for a people's peerage reasons for their rejection.

Tony Blair: No.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister how many applications for a people's peerage received since 1 January were rejected in the first sift; and what proportion of the total this represents.

Tony Blair: None. All nominations received since 1 January 2003 are still being considered by the Commission.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister how many civil servants are involved in the preliminary sift of applications for a people's peerage; at what grade; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: The House of Lords Appointments Commission is supported by a secretariat headed by a Senior Civil Servant.
	The sifting process is set out in Section 2 of the House of Lords Appointments Commission Report on the First Term 2000–2003, a copy of which is available in the House Library.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister what role recruitment consultants PWC play in the selection of people's peers.

Tony Blair: None.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister how much time was spent in each of the last 12 months by (a) the chair and (b) other Members of the House of Lords Appointments Commission on its work.

Tony Blair: The full House of Lords Appointments Commission has met five times in the last 12 months. During the same period, sub-groups of Commission members have met as necessary to carry out Commission business.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will require people's peers to publish (a) in the annual report and (b) on the website of the House of Lords Appointments Commission their assessments of their contribution to the work of the second chamber over the preceding year.

Tony Blair: No.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will issue guidance to the House of Lords Appointments Commission to permit it to select a proportion of applicants for a people's peerage by lot.

Tony Blair: I wrote to the House of Lords Appointments Commission in July reaffirming that its remit is to recommend individuals based on their merit and ability to contribute effectively to the work of the House. Copies of this letter are available in the House Library.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will require the House of Lords Appointments Commission to seek an undertaking from successful applicants for a people's peerage to participate fully in the work of the second chamber.

Tony Blair: It is for every peer to decide for themselves how they attend the House. The House of Lords Appointments Commission has made clear both in its criteria and in discussion with appointees that wherever possible they should contribute when matters relating to their area of expertise arise. The Commission's information pack also makes it clear that this does not necessarily mean the same time commitment expected of "working peers".

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister how many roadshows the House of Lords Appointments Commission (a) has embarked on since its creation and (b) plans to undertake.

Tony Blair: In autumn 2000, the House of Lords Appointments Commission held four meetings in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Manchester to share its approach and to encourage people to think about putting themselves forward. There are no immediate plans to hold more, although the issue is being kept under consideration.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister what his reasons were for re-appointing Lord Stevenson as chair of the House of Lords Appointments Commission; and whether an open competition was held for the post.

Tony Blair: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 17 July 2003, Official Report, column 444W.
	An open competition was not held for the re-appointment of any of the Commission members. This is in line with the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will restrict to two terms of three years the maximum length of service on the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

Tony Blair: The House of Lords Appointments Commission comes within the remit of the Commissioner of Public Appointments and appointments to the Commission are made in accordance with the Code of Practice.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will limit the term of appointment of people's peers; and if he will make re-appointment conditional on a record of active participation in the work of the House of Lords.

Tony Blair: No. Membership of the House of Lords is currently for life.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister how many applications from aspiring people's peers have been received in each month since the last group of successful applications was announced.

Tony Blair: Applications from members of the public for peerages are given in the table.
	
		
			  2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 January — 16 2 
			 February — 11 9 
			 March — 11 2 
			 April 5 20 3 
			 May 24 7 3 
			 June 38 6 3 
			 July 27 5 7 
			 August 11 4 2 
			 September 15 2 8 
			 October 16 10 9 
			 November 23 5 (1)2 
			 December 8 4 — 
		
	
	(1) As from 10 November.

DEFENCE

Accounting Methods

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what accounting methods are used to value assets in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: As mandated by HM Treasury and in accordance with Government Accounting regulations, the Ministry of Defence applies the Modified Historic Cost Accounting convention to asset valuations. This requires assets to be valued at their actual or estimated current value to the Department. A mixture of regular professional valuations and the application of appropriate indices between formal valuations are used to meet the requirement. During 2002–03, some 95.4 per cent. of the eligible asset base was professionally revalued as reported in the Annual Report and Accounts published on 30 October.

Chinook Helicopters

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the total value of contracts in relation to the order for Chinook HC3 helicopters is;
	(2)  on what date is it intended that the Chinook HC3 helicopters ordered by the RAF will be delivered to a squadron to undertake their envisaged duties;
	(3)  pursuant to his answer of 12 May 2003, Official Report, column 37W, on Chinook helicopters, what reasons have been given to his Department by the US Department of Defense for its decision not to purchase the Chinook HC3 helicopters ordered by the RAF; whether the Chinook HC3 helicopters delivered to the United Kingdom have since been made airworthy; whether the Chinook HC3 helicopter retained by Boeing Helicopters at Philadelphia has been delivered to the United Kingdom; where the Chinook HC3 helicopters ordered for the RAF were stored prior to their shipment to the United Kingdom; what assessment was made of the conditions in which they were stored; what assessment was made of the condition of each of the helicopters following this storage; what his plans are for disposal of the fleet; what specific role the Chinook HC3 helicopter was intended to fulfil when the original order was placed with Boeing in October 1995; whether other helicopters have been evaluated for this role since then; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 10 November 2003
	I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Departmental Current Account

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money is in his Department's current account; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence, along with all other spending Departments, draws down Voted Supply at the beginning of each month from the Exchequer into its principal current account at the Office of Paymaster General. The amount of money in this current account will vary considerably during the month, typically from in excess of £2 billion at the beginning of the month to under £200 million at the end of the month. The balance in this account is monitored on a daily basis to ensure there are sufficient funds to meet the oncoming expenditure requirements in the rest of the month.

Eurofighter

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Government's commitment to the Eurofighter Typhoon project.

Adam Ingram: The Government remain committed to the Typhoon programme. Production of the Tranche 1 aircraft is well advanced. Discussions with our three partner nations and with Industry regarding the order for Tranche 2 are ongoing. The order for Tranche 3 is not expected before 2007.

Eurofighter

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what procedures would be followed in the case of the four Eurofighter Typhoon project partners choosing to reduce the number of aircraft ordered under the third tranche of the programme;
	(2)  what financial penalties the UK would face in the case of it not proceeding with Tranche III of the Eurofighter Programme.

Adam Ingram: Under the collaborative procurement arrangements for the project, the attribution of costs and savings from any reduction of the third tranche of aircraft would need to be discussed and formally agreed between the four participating nations. No such discussions have taken place.

HMS Vanguard

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the expected commissioning date is of HMS Vanguard; where the nuclear reactor power range tests will be carried out prior to commissioning; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: HMS Vanguard is currently undergoing a Long Overhaul Period (Refit) (LOP(R)) and has not been decommissioned. As with any United Kingdom nuclear-powered submarine that has been defuelled and refuelled, Vanguard's nuclear reactor will undergo power range testing in the final stages of the LOP(R). This testing forms part of the LOP(R) work package and all LOP(R)s take place at Devonport Dockyard. Vanguard is due to return to service during the fourth quarter in 2004.

Infantry Battalions

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 3 November 2003, Official Report, column 425W, on infantry battalions, what discussions he (a) plans to hold and (b) has held with representatives of the Scottish infantry battalions prior to producing the Defence White Paper.

Adam Ingram: There are currently no plans to hold discussions with representatives of the Scottish infantry battalions, prior to producing the Defence White Paper; nor have there been any recent discussions with them. Representations have, however, been received from representatives of a number of battalions throughout the United Kingdom.

Investment Strategy

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Investment Strategy for his Department will be published for this year; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Defence Investment Strategy is published biennially following the settlement of each Spending Review. The current strategy is set out in the 2002 Defence Investment Strategy, which can be found on the Ministry of Defence's web page at www. mod.uk/linked files/issues/invstrat2002.pdf. We expect to publish the next Defence Investment Strategy in Autumn 2004.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many investigations have been held in Iraq into incidents involving confirmed civilian fatalities allegedly caused by United Kingdom military personnel since the end of the conflict.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 November 2003
	We investigate every incident in which we can confirm that there has been a civilian fatality allegedly caused by United Kingdom military personnel. We record centrally cases in which the initial investigation finds there are grounds for the Special Investigations Branch to conduct a formal investigation.
	As at 12 November the Special Investigation Branch had begun 17 investigations.

Menwith Hill/Fylingdales

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what applications have been made in 2003 for (a) extensions to existing facilities and (b) construction of new facilities at (i) the National Security Agency Menwith Hill Station and (ii) RAF Fylingdales bases in Yorkshire; and which were granted.

Adam Ingram: In accordance with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Circular 18/84, development by the Crown does not require planning permission. Government Departments do however consult with local planning authorities and provide "Notice of Proposed Development" before proceeding with work that would otherwise require planning permission. Local planning authorities treat such notices in the same way as they would a statutory planning application.
	Between 1 January and 31 October 2003, 15 Notices of Proposed Development were given to Harrogate borough council, the local planning authority for RAF Menwith Hill. Of these, six notices were for extensions to existing facilities and nine were for construction of new facilities. There were no objections by the planning authority to 11 proposals, and four proposals are awaiting a decision.
	During the same time period, two Notices of Proposed Development were given to the North Yorks Moors National Park Authority, the local planning authority for RAF Fylingdales. Both are for construction of new facilities. There was no objection by the planning authority to one proposal, while the other proposal is awaiting a decision.

Missile Defence

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to his written statement of 12 June 2003, Official Report, column 57WS, on missile defence, he is now in a position to publish details of the bilateral arrangements to which he referred.

Geoff Hoon: On 3 October, I placed a copy of the Framework Memorandum of Understanding on Ballistic Missile Defence in the Library of the House.
	As I set out in my Written Ministerial Statement on 12 June, further MOUs on the upgrade of the radar at RAF Fylingdales and on technical co-operation continue to be negotiated and remain confidential between the respective Governments at this stage.

Note of Dissent (Directions)

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Answer of the right hon. Member for Dunfermline East (Mr. Gordon Brown), of 30 October Official Report, column 311W, on Note of Dissent (Directions), if he will place in the Library a copy of his direction; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 November 2003
	A copy of the Ministerial Direction has today been placed in the Library.

TRANSPORT

A36 (Safety)

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what safety measures he will put in place on the A36 through Plaitford and West Wellow in (a) financial year 2003–04 and (b) the next financial year and beyond.

David Jamieson: I have asked the Acting Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Stephen Hickey, to write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Hickey to Mr. Robert Key, dated 13 November 2003
	I have been asked by David Jamieson to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what safety measures will be put in place on the A36 through Plaitford and West Wellow in this financial year, the next financial year and beyond.
	The Highways Agency has identified a number of schemes that will improve the safety on this length of road. Many of these measures are outlined in the draft A36 Plaitford to West Wellow Speed and Safety Study sent to you for comment on 26 September.
	During this financial year, signing improvements on both approaches to Blackhill Road have been completed. Works to improve the bus stop at Whinwhistle Road, providing raised kerbs, a new shelter and extended footway have also been completed. Also work is currently ongoing to install 2 safety cameras at Whinwhistle Road junction. Construction of a Toucan crossing at the eastern arm of Canada Common roundabout is planned subject to funding.
	Schemes proposed for the next financial year involve the reduction of vehicle speeds through Plaitford by signing, road markings and vehicle-activated signs. The provision of a vehicle-activated sign to warn of queues at the Whinwhistle Road junction is also planned. Alterations to the width of the circulatory carriageway on Canada Common roundabout is proposed to reduce vehicle speeds and surface treatments are planned to reinforce speed limits.
	Schemes being investigated for possible inclusion in future programmes include the provision of controlled and uncontrolled crossings along this length of road, and the reduction of the existing 50mph speed limit through Plaitford to 40mph.

American Ships (Disposal)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what dates his Department held the discussions with (a) English Nature, (b) the Environment Agency and (c) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which were referred to in the press releases by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency of (i) 6 October and (ii) 10 October about the decommissioning of United States vessels by Able UK.

David Jamieson: holding answer 10 November 2003
	There were a number of discussions with English Nature, the Environment Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs prior to the issue of press releases on 4 and 10 October. (MCA did not issue a press release on 6 October.)

American Ships (Disposal)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date his Department was informed that the Environment Agency had warned (a) Able UK and (b) the United States authorities that the ships destined for recycling at Hartlepool should not sail.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 10 November 2003
	I refer to replies given by my noble Friend, Lord Whitty, Official Report, House of Lords, 7 October 2003, c. 145–48. The Department was informed on 29 and 30 October that the Environment Agency were about to advise both Able UK and the United States authorities of validity problems with the licences issued for the dismantling of these vessels in the UK.

American Ships (Disposal)

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether the Government advised the US ships (a) Canisteo and (b) Caloosahatchee on the courses they should take through the English Channel;
	(2)  whether the US ships (a) Canisteo and (b) Caloosahatchee were advised to keep to the eastbound shipping lane off Start Point; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The original course, which was approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, took the vessels through the Casquets Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the eastbound lane. At the time of entry into the Channel, Able UK were contacted by officers of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and advised that this was the preferred route.
	In practice the vessels passed north of the Casquets TSS and then joined the north-eastbound lane of the Dover Strait TSS. While the eastbound lane through the Casquets TSS was preferred by MCA, the route taken by the tugs was legitimate and safe.

American Ships (Disposal)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a chart showing the approved route in United Kingdom waters for United States ships sailing to Able UK's facility at Hartlepool.

David Jamieson: I am arranging for copies of the relevant charts to be made available in the Libraries of both Houses.

American Ships (Disposal)

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to prevent redundant naval ships from the United States of America from entering United Kingdom territorial waters for disposal.

David Jamieson: Powers of intervention may be exercised only where a ship is in UK Waters and it is considered necessary for the purpose of securing the safety of the ships or other ships; the safety of persons or property; or preventing or reducing significant pollution. These ships do not present such a threat.

Gatwick Airport

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Horsham of 3 November 2003, Official Report, column 391W, on Gatwick airport, whether the net economic benefit quoted takes into account externalities, with particular reference to environmental damage.

Tony McNulty: The net economic benefits estimated for Gatwick and other south east airport options take into account the externalities associated with aviation's climate change impacts. In producing calculations of economic benefits of additional capacity at all south east airport options, it was assumed that by 2015 an economic instrument would be in place to meet the climate change impact of aircraft emissions. This has the effect of reducing forecast passenger numbers by 10 per cent. and reducing the net economic benefits of all the capacity options.

M4 and Severn Bridge

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the closure of the M4 and Severn Bridge on 2–3 November; what criteria were used in deciding on the closure; and whether the revised protocol by the steering group was applied.

David Jamieson: I have asked the Acting Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Stephen Hickey, to write to my hon. Friend.
	Letter from Stephen Hickey to Mr. Huw Edwards, dated 13 November 2003
	I have been asked by David Jamieson to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question regarding the closure of the M4 and Severn Bridge on 2 to 3 November 2003.
	The Highways Agency took the decision to close the M48 Severn Bridge at 05.10 hours on Sunday 2 November when the wind was recorded as gusting in excess of 40 knots. The bridge reopened at 16.00 hours on Monday 3 November. The revised protocol by the steering group was applied; this protocol can be seen at Table 1. The M4 Second Severn Crossing was not closed.
	
		Table 1
		
			 Gust windspeed (Knots) Threshold requirement(i.e. criteria set within the monitoring equipment) Response(i.e. Action to be Taken) 
		
		
			 30 30 Knots exceeded six times within any 10 minute period All matrix signs to be set to indicate 40MPH 
			 35 35 Knots exceeded three times in any 10-minute period. Leeward lane identified by wind direction Alternate matrix signs to be amended to indicate leeward lane closed in each direction. 
			 40 40 Knots exceeded six times in any 10 minute period Introduce height restriction strategy, (if unavailable close to all traffic) 
			 Decreasing No gust has exceeded 30 knots within 30 minute period Seek authority to remove the imposed restrictions

Rail Industry

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the benefits to the travelling public of private sector involvement in the rail industry, with particular regard to (a) safety and (b) punctuality; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Our priority is to tackle years of underinvestment by working in partnership with the private sector. Network Rail's programme of substantial network renewals, much of which is financed by private investment, will deliver lasting improvements in safety and punctuality for the travelling public now and in years to come. Privately financed train construction has also enabled a major fleet replacement programme which will again benefit passengers as new trains are safer and more comfortable.

Roadworks (Accidents)

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents there have been in the roadworks on the M5 between junctions 21 and 20 since they began in October that have resulted in delays for drivers of more than 20 minutes.

David Jamieson: I have asked the Acting Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Stephen Hickey, to write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Hickey to Mr. Adrian Flook, dated 13 November 2003
	I have been asked by David Jamieson to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of accidents there have been in the roadworks on the M5 between junctions 21 and 20 since they began in October that have resulted in delays for drivers of more than twenty minutes.
	There have been two accidents in the roadworks since they began that have resulted in delays of more than twenty minutes.

Rural Transport

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action the Government is taking to assist older people in rural communities who do not have access to a car.

Tony McNulty: We are providing specific funding to improve public transport services for rural communities generally, including many of direct benefit to older people without access to a car. This funding is supporting new and improved scheduled bus services and the development of more flexible transport solutions such as demand responsive buses, dial-a-ride schemes and shared taxis. These developments will be further assisted by the forthcoming introduction of regulation changes to make possible the registration of flexibly routed local bus services which will also be entitled to receive Bus Service Operators Grant.
	We are also making legislative changes to improve older people's ability to access public transport. We have introduced the national statutory minimum concessionary fare scheme for older and disabled people. This guarantees half fare travel on local bus services with a free pass and covers rural areas which previously had no concessionary fare scheme. Also from 1 April 2003 we have ensured that concessionary travel schemes are available to men aged 60–64, bringing them into line with women of the same age. We have also introduced regulations to ensure that public transport is designed to meet the needs of older people with mobility problems.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Disability

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what powers exist to allow action to be taken against someone verbally abusing a person because of their disability; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, the term 'harassment' extends to any form of persistent conduct which causes another alarm or distress, including harassment motivated by disability.
	The Government recently amended the Criminal Justice Bill to extend the current law to cover sentences for offences aggravated by the victim's race and religion, so that it also includes offences aggravated by hostility towards the victim because of his or her sexual orientation or disability.
	In October 2004 a number of changes will be introduced to the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 as a consequence of implementing the EU employment directive, including a provision explicitly outlawing harassment for a reason relating to a person's disability.

Absenteeism

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on progress in reducing staff absences within the Department for Work and Pensions.

Maria Eagle: The Department for Work and Pensions has targets set by the Cabinet Office to help contribute to a reduction in public sector sickness absence. These involve an average working days lost figure of eight days by March 2006, and an interim target of 10 days by March 2004. The cumulative average working days lost figure for the period April to September 2003 was 12 days.
	Ministers and senior managers in the Department fully recognise the importance of good attendance. They are committed to ensuring that managers have effective tools to enable them to manage sickness absence, including support for individuals to facilitate a return to work after illness. People who work for the Department and who have to bear the consequences of colleagues' absence, together with the customers the Department serves, have a right to expect that level of commitment.
	A new Departmental Attendance Management policy was implemented in February 2003. This aims to encourage good attendance and provide support to enable people to return to work as quickly as possible following an absence. Formal unsatisfactory attendance action can be considered when an absence reaches eight days in a rolling 12-month period. To measure the effectiveness of the policy, an evaluation exercise will start shortly.
	Each of the businesses that comprise the Department has initiatives in place aimed at getting sickness absence levels down. Jobcentre Plus, which is the biggest of the businesses, has an 'Improving Attendance' task force in place. Its emphasis is on reducing long-term absences (ie those over 28 days duration), by either facilitating a return to work, or effecting a termination of an individual's contract. The Department is also participating in the 'Well-being at work' pilots that are being run by the Health and Safety Executive. These are intended to combat workplace stress. In addition, the Department is committed to discharging its responsibilities to people with disabilities by making reasonable adjustments to the workplace to facilitate an individual's return to work. A pilot will also commence shortly that will involve the early intervention of occupational health nurses in addressing, quickly, those absences which have the potential to become long term.

Casual Appointments

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees have been employed on 13-week casual appointments in his Department in each year since 1997 (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) broken down by region; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Department generally only employs people on casual appointments in order to fulfil a short term need. The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Maternity Allowance

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will amend the Maternity Allowance Claim Pack to inform applicants that there is a statutory time limit of three months in which to claim.

Maria Eagle: The Maternity Allowance claim form was amended from April 2003 to show the three month time limit for claims. The explanatory notes, which are included in the claim pack, will be amended from the next reprint, due in the new year.

Pensions

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment the Government have made of (a) the long-term cost of linking the basic state pension to earnings and (b) the effect on the incomes of the poorest pensioners if such a link replaced Pension Credit.

Malcolm Wicks: We estimate that introducing an earnings link in the basic State Pension from 2004–05 would cost around £600 million net in 2003–04 prices, rising to an extra £4.1 billion by 2010, £11.9 billion by 2020 and £25.0 billion by 2030 in today's prices.
	If we were to scrap Pension Credit in favour of an earnings link, but retain the income guarantee level, the poorest pensioners would lose an average of around £400 a year in Pension Credit and the very poorest would gain nothing.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2003, Official Report, column 806W, on pensions, if he will estimate (a) the gross cost and (b) the cost net of savings on means tested benefits and increased income tax revenues of a combined policy of age additions to the basic state pension of (i) £10 per week at 75 and (ii) a further £5 a week at 80 from April 2004.

Malcolm Wicks: The estimated gross cost and the cost net of savings on means tested benefits and increased income tax revenues of a combined policy of age additions to the basic state pension of £10 per week at 75 and a further £5 a week at 80 from April 2004 are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £ billion 
		
		
			 Gross cost 3.0 
			 Net cost 1.8 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Options (i) and (ii) have been costed jointly.
	2. Figures are in 2003–04 price terms and are rounded to the nearest £100 million.
	3. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department.
	4. Income-related benefit offsets are calculated using the DWP policy simulation model.
	5. Income tax revenue increases calculated by the Inland Revenue using the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes and April 2003 Budget forecasts.
	6. The age addition increases are assumed to be flat-rate increases and are paid in full to all pensioners of applicable age.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Adam Smith Institute

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what grounds the Department agreed a contract with the Adam Smith Institute to offer support to the office of the Prime Minister; and what the purpose of the contract is.

Hilary Benn: The purpose of this short-term project was to provide consultancy support to develop the necessary skills and systems to enable the newly established Prime Minister's Office, of the Palestinian Authority, to carry out its functions effectively. The Adam Smith Institute had undertaken related work in Palestine. This enabled them to respond quickly and appropriately to this urgent short-term need.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what conditions relative to activity in the Democratic Republic of Congo his Department attaches to the provision of aid to (a) Uganda and (b) Rwanda; what reports the Government has received on compliance with those conditions; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: UK development assistance to Uganda and Rwanda is provided to enable those Governments to implement their poverty reduction strategies, which are developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders including the partner governments. Our assistance continues to be subject to these Governments' commitment to the promotion of peace and stability within the Great Lakes region, including the promotion of transparency and legality regarding the exploitation of the region's natural resources.
	Our judgment is that the Governments of Rwanda and Uganda are committed to regional stability, based on regular discussions with them and reports from Posts and other sources. Both countries have withdrawn their forces from the DRC. Both have also established commissions to investigate allegations made in the UN Panel Report about the exploitation of natural resources in the DRC. In Uganda, the Porter Commission reported to Government in May 2003. We are urging the Government of Rwanda to publish the findings of their National Judicial Commission and to take action where allegations are proven. Our assistance to Uganda is also conditional upon the Government conducting a comprehensive and strategic Defence Review, including a thorough analysis of external threats. The UK is providing support for this process, which is about to produce its recommendations.
	The UK seeks to help resolve conflict and establish conditions for genuine development in the whole of the Great Lakes region. We are beginning a significant development programme in DRC, following the establishment of the Transitional National Government in July. We hope that over the medium term, this will become a substantial Development Partnership, similar in nature to those we have with Uganda and Rwanda,

Eritrea

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Eritrea.

Hilary Benn: The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Eritrea has said that the situation has improved slightly but there is still major cause for concern. While the harvest is expected to be better than in 2002 it will be well below its full potential. We will continue to play our part in helping address urgent humanitarian needs, and have recently committed £500,000 to the UNICEF Appeal.

Ethiopia

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to help the Government of Ethiopia avoid future food shortages.

Hilary Benn: Our Country Assistance Plan for Ethiopia, which was published in March, outlines the various methods that we are using to take forward our longer-term food strategy. We work in support of the Government's own efforts to reduce food insecurity in the framework of Ethiopia's poverty reduction strategy, the Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Programme.
	We are working at federal and regional level in Ethiopia on key food security issues. The Ethiopian Government have themselves developed an Action Plan to address the issue of food insecurity, which we expect to be discussed at a meeting of donors and government in December.

Gambia

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made in tackling malaria among children in the Gambia.

Hilary Benn: Malaria is endemic in The Gambia. It is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality especially among children under the age of five and pregnant women. It has a significant negative impact on productivity and is a major cause of poverty. Recent studies in The Gambia have shown that malaria is on the increase. In 2000, it accounted for 60 per cent. of all out patient consultations and 57.2 per cent. of all admissions and 36.9 per cent. of all deaths, including 25 per cent. of all deaths in children under five years of age 1 .
	The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), to which DFID contributes, has recently agreed to provide US$13.8 million over five years for the prevention and treatment of malaria in The Gambia, The goal of this project, which is particularly focused on the coastal area, is the reduction of malaria morbidity and mortality in children under five years of age and pregnant women by 30 per cent. by the end of the project in the focus area.
	1 Figures from the Gambia Malaria Situation Analysis 2001.

Global Fund

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government is taking to ensure that there are sufficient funds in the Global Fund to meet the £5 billion target for 2005.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The UK has a long-term commitment to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM). We recognise that in order to be effective the GFATM needs predictable and sustainable financing—which is why the UK recently extended its pledge by a further two years to 2008 bringing our total contribution to US$280million.
	In addition, the Prime Minister has encouraged European Union member states to contribute to the GFATM. Last month the EC agreed to accelerate the disbursement of Euros 170 million to the Fund. Currently the 15 EU member states and the Commission are the largest donor to the GFATM, having contributed around 55 per cent. of the total pledge so far of US$4.8 billion.
	The Global Fund is one of a number of instruments to tackle these terrible diseases. Since 1997, the Department for International Development has stepped up its spending on HIV/AIDS from £38 million in 1997–98 to more than £270 million in 2002–03. According to UNAIDS, UK is currently the 2nd largest bilateral donor active in the field of HIV/AIDS.
	Since May 1997 DFID has committed over £1.5 billion to support the development of health systems in partner countries. This will help to build capacity to deliver medicines to the poor and assist them in making effective choices about the selection of drugs.

Global Fund

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria is financially secure.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The UK was a high profile advocate for the Global Fund for AIDS TB and Malaria (GFATM) and nearly two years after its inception continues to give it its full support.
	The UK recognises that the GFATM needs predictable sustainable financing in order to be effective and therefore made a commitment to predictable multi year funding from the very start—increasing our pledge recently to $280 million through to 2008.
	The UK, a Board member of the GFATM, works closely with the Fund particularly on improving its financial effectiveness. Decisions taken at the 6th Board Meeting last month—including moving the Fund to a voluntary replenishment system, and to continue to develop financial models that provide regular estimates of resources available for commitment and of demand, will help to give greater clarity on what resources are assured and will provide the GFATM with a sounder financial footing.

Iraq

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his answer of 5 November, reference 135853, how many of the unexploded bomblets remaining as a result of the cluster bombs and artillery used in the UK area of operations around Basra have been found within the city limits of Basra.

Hilary Benn: The information requested is not available.

Liberia

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what response he will make to the UN humanitarian appeal in Liberia.

Hilary Benn: In response to the humanitarian crisis there we have allocated £7.6 million this year to support humanitarian assistance in Liberia. The UN consolidated appeal will be announced on 19 November. We will consider whether to make a further contribution in the light of the appeal and the conclusions of a joint DFID/FCO mission that is visiting Liberia this month.

Performance Monitoring

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total cost was of (a) setting, (b) monitoring and (c) measuring the performance targets for his Department in 2002–03; and how many and what grades of civil servants monitor these targets.

Hilary Benn: Performance targets for DFID were agreed as part of Spending Review 2002. The monitoring and measurement of PSA targets forms part of departmental performance management. Performance management is an integral part of the day to day running of the Department, and as such it is not possible to separate out the specific costs. The monitoring of progress towards, and performance against, the Department's PSA targets is undertaken by a wide variety of staff at all levels of the organisation.

Performance Monitoring

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the performance targets that (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet; and if he will specify for each target (i) who sets it and (ii) who monitors achievement against it.

Hilary Benn: Key performance targets for DFID are agreed as part of the Spending Review and the latest set were published in Spending Review 2002; Public Service Agreements 2003–06 (Cm 5571). The department monitors progress towards the targets along with HM Treasury and progress is reported regularly.
	DFID does not have agencies or non-departmental public bodies required to meet targets.
	DFID has five targets in its Public Service Agreement 2003–06. Two are based on achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the key regions in Africa and Asia. These are also linked to the poverty reduction targets of our partner countries. Two are focused on improving the effectiveness of the international system in reducing poverty. These include targets which have been agreed jointly with other Government Departments. The final target encompasses the Value for Money indicators which cover the efficient allocation of funds.
	I am accountable for delivery of DFID's Public Service Agreement. The means of measuring achievement against these targets are set out in the Technical Note accompanying DFID's PSA. This note is available on the DFID website at: www.dfid.gov.uk.

St. Helena

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance he intends to give to St. Helena before the building of the proposed airport to discourage residents from leaving the island; and if he will make a statement on the future viability of the economy of St. Helena.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: We continue to provide substantial assistance for St. Helena, which this year is expected to be more than £10.5 million. Much of this support is needed to maintain essential government services, including education and healthcare, and to subsidise the island's vital passenger/supply ship. These and other services will be maintained: but we hope increasingly to devote a greater share of our assistance to activities that will generate more local revenue and reduce St. Helena's reliance upon our aid.
	For example, in parallel with evaluating options for the possible development of air access and with the St. Helena Government we are reviewing the routing and scheduling of the RMS 'St Helena' to see if a better call pattern for the island can be established. We also are considering further strengthening of the St. Helena Development Agency (SHDA), in addition to some existing support through the SHDA from the FCO's Economic Diversification Fund, to help stimulate private sector growth. As regards staffing, some key posts in St. Helena have been advertised recently on enhanced terms that are designed to encourage key personnel to remain and/or to attract back suitable people with St. Helenian status who are living overseas. I understand that the first of these advertisements already has resulted in the appointment of a St. Helenian who currently lives in the UK; and the initial response to advertisements for two other posts last month has been encouraging.
	We remain committed to supporting the St. Helena Government's efforts to revitalise and regenerate the island economy to the benefit of its community. Our shared goal, which may take some years to achieve, is sustainable economic and financial self-sufficiency for St. Helena.

St. Helena

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the quality of treatment at Jamestown General Hospital, St. Helena.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Healthcare services in St. Helena, including those available at Jamestown Hospital, are reviewed regularly. We are satisfied that both their quality and consistency are appropriate and proportionate to the needs of the island community. For example, the hospital incorporates: a modern operating theatre and maternity suite; a well equipped medical laboratory and blood transfusion services, and complete continuity of attendance by trained medical and nursing staff. The next review of our healthcare support is planned for early next year.

Zimbabwe

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he last examined the methods used by aid agencies funded by his Department to draw up lists of aid recipients in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID routinely subjects all proposals for UK funding to detailed technical appraisal before spending is approved. In the case of food aid to Zimbabwe, our most recent pledge of £5 million to support the Emergency Operation of the World Food Programme (WFP) followed close examination of the operational procedures set out in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the WFP and the Government of Zimbabwe on 25 September. This included the process for identifying those members of the community who are in greatest need, regardless of political considerations or affiliation. WFP conducts rigorous training of its Implementing Partners (NGOs) on these procedures
	In addition to UK's support for the WFP Emergency Operation, DFID is also providing funds directly to international and local NGOs who are undertaking humanitarian work in Zimbabwe, focusing on HIV/AIDS affected households, malnourished children and other vulnerable groups. Again, approval of financial support has been based upon careful technical appraisal of the approach and procedures for each proposal.

Zimbabwe

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his answer of 5 November 2003, Official Report, column 653W, on Zimbabwe, if he will make it his policy to urge the United Nations to monitor delivery of food aid in Zimbabwe to its final recipients.

Hilary Benn: As I indicated in my previous reply, the United Nations closely monitors the delivery of food aid to its final recipients by the UN World Food Programme (WFP). In response to pressure from the UK and other donors, the WFP has already strengthened its own internal monitoring, evaluation and reporting activities. Particular emphasis is placed on monitoring and reporting of any incidences of political interference. WFP also undertakes post-distribution monitoring, in which vulnerable households who were targeted for assistance are interviewed to assess their views of the selection and distribution processes. Donors and the UNDP have jointly established a Relief and Recovery Unit with the purpose of co-ordinating information about all ongoing humanitarian activities funded by the international community. This covers not only food but also other forms of assistance such as medicines, seeds and fertilisers. It also covers the operations of NGOs directly funded by donors, outside the UN Emergency Operation.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that the Protocol on Protection and Welfare of Animals enacted by the Treaty of Amsterdam remains part of European Union law by being annexed to the proposed new treaty establishing a constitution for the European Union; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The Government support annexation of the Protocol on the Protection and Welfare of Animals to the EU Constitutional Treaty. We have put the case for doing so in the legal experts group mandated to consider this in the Intergovernmental Conference.

Departmental Energy Use

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much (a) electricity and (b) other energy his Department has used in each year since 1997 (i) in total and (ii) per square metre; what the projected use is for each of the following years for which forecasts are made; what plans he has to reduce usage; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member in reply to parts (a) and (b) to the reply given to him by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw) on 3 November 2003, Official Report, column 403W.
	Compared to the previous year, the FCO's projected energy consumption in 2003–04 is an increase of 3 per cent. in total electricity usage. This is accounted for by the demands in development of our major financial management system (PRISM) and the modernisation of FCO working practices and procedures. These both rely heavily on electrically powered electronic technology. A decrease of 1 per cent. in other energy usage is projected.
	We aim to achieve reductions by upgrading building facilities, using more energy efficient equipment, staff awareness campaigns and close monitoring of consumption.

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the closure of the border between Spain and Gibraltar; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the border between Spain and Gibraltar is re-opened as soon as possible.

Denis MacShane: The border between Spain and Gibraltar re-opened at 20:10 local time on 3 November.
	As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear, we regarded the closure as unnecessary, unwelcome and disproportionate. We take the same view of the "health checks" imposed by the Spanish authorities subsequent to the border re-opening.

Government's Wine Cellar

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who is responsible for the management of the Government's wine cellar.

Bill Rammell: The Government Wine Cellar is administered on a day-to-day basis by the Head of Government Hospitality, a civil servant in Conference and Visits Group of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Advice on the stock and quality of wines in the cellar is given by the Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine (GHACPW), composed of four appointed Masters of Wine and a Chairman. The GHACPW is an advisory non-departmental public body that reports to me as the Minister responsible for Government Hospitality and FCO Services as a whole.

Iraq

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the numbers of UK citizens travelling to Iraq to fight against coalition forces; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 10 November 2003
	We are aware of references in the media to this issue, but we have no reports to suggest that significant numbers of UK citizens are preparing to travel to, or are in Iraq, to fight Coalition forces. Nevertheless, we continue to investigate reports of this nature.

Iraq

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the intentions of aid agencies to stay in Iraq.

Hilary Benn: I have been asked to reply.
	In the current circumstances in Iraq, aid agencies are understandably keeping under review their security procedures, their ways of working and the extent to which they maintain a presence in the country. Decisions in these areas are of course for them to take. DFID keeps in close contact with the United Nations and non-governmental organisations, particularly those which receive DFID funding, and is able to offer advice where appropriate, DFID has offered £3 million towards UN security measures in response to an appeal following the bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad in August. DFID has also offered additional finance, if needed, for increased security provisions for those NGOs that we are supporting in Iraq. DFID, and other Government Departments, have put in place special security provisions for their own staff working in Iraq.

Israel

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government concerning the destruction of the shipment of vitamins meant for children in the Gaza Strip sent by The Holy Land Trust, Rabbis for Human Rights and the Palestine Children's Welfare Fund.

Bill Rammell: We have not made representations to the Israeli Government about the specific shipment referred to. We have not been able to establish the fate of the shipment. But we continue to discuss with the Government of Israel the general humanitarian impact of its policies and the importance of unfettered access to humanitarian aid throughout the Occupied Territories.

Morocco

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what purposes the export licences to Morocco listed in the Strategic Export Controls report 2002 as involving (a) toxic chemical precursors and (b) technology for the production of toxins were granted.

Bill Rammell: The 'toxic chemical precursors' were to be exported to Morocco for use in toothpaste preparation.
	The
	'technology for the production of toxins' to be exported to Morocco was for regulatory dossiers relating to the manufacture, safety and efficacy of medicines.

North Korea

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to help the development of good relations between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and (a) the Republic of Korea, (b) Japan and (c) China.

Bill Rammell: The Government actively support the six party process, begun in Beijing in August, to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. The Republic of Korea, Japan, China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are all participants in that process.

North Korea

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on the opening of an official embassy by the Republic in the United Kingdom.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the opening of their embassy in London, During my own meeting with the new DPRK ambassador, I expressed concern about the nuclear issue and human rights. I made clear that further development of our bilateral relationship would depend on North Korean actions to address these concerns, which are shared by the European Union and the wider international community.

Nuclear Proliferation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons-related technology.

Denis MacShane: Preventing the spread of technology with WMD application is a high priority for the Government. All licences for the export from the UK of nuclear technology with possible weapons-related application are rigorously scrutinised. I refer the hon. Member to the Statement made by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw) on 15 March 2002, Official Report, column 1298W.
	The UK is a leading and active member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), an international export control regime which seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons by controlling the export of nuclear related and dual use items and related technology. These are identified in the NSG technical annex and are incorporated into national and EU legislation.
	Within the NSG the UK chairs the Licensing and Enforcement Experts Meeting where customs and other enforcement officials exchange information and intelligence relating to procurement methods, and discuss case studies on interdiction. The UK also provides technical experts who revise the lists of controlled goods to ensure that the NSG keeps pace with developments in technology, weapons systems and procurement methods.
	Within the NSG and other export control regimes the UK supports outreach activities, in the form of bilateral talks and awareness raising seminars, which play a key role in our efforts to promote and support the implementation of responsible export controls around the world. In addition, joint teams of officials from FCO, DTI, MOD and HM Customs and Excise conduct dedicated export control bilateral meetings to address the practical issues surrounding the implementation of export licensing and enforcement systems.

Pakistan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) his Department and (b) the Government have had with members and representatives of the governments of (i) Pakistan, (ii) India and (iii) China on the proposed construction of a nuclear power plant at Chashma, central Punjab province, Pakistan; what concerns have been raised during those discussions; what assurances were (A) sought and (B) given; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: We are aware of the existing nuclear power plant at Chashma in central Punjab, and of the plans for a second reactor to be built at the same site with the co-operation of China. We understand that these plans only involve co-operation over energy production and we have not raised any concerns with the representatives of the governments of Pakistan, India or China

Pakistan

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he is making to Pakistan concerning the fight against terrorism, with particular reference to the case of Dawood Ibrahim; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: We regularly discuss the fight against terrorism with the Pakistani Government, most recently when I, and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, met the Pakistani Foreign Minister, Khurshid Kasuri, on 4 November.
	On 3 November the al-Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council added Dawood Ibrahim's name to its list of individuals linked to al-Qaeda. Like all UN members the UK is accordingly under an obligation to freeze his assets, and has now done so.

Russia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government is giving to the Russian Federation to work towards a constructive and peaceful solution to instability in Chechnya and the Caucasus region; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that proper democratic processes are taking place in the area.

Bill Rammell: The UK Government undertake regular dialogue with Russian counterparts at both official and ministerial level about the on-going conflict in Chechnya and its resolution. The UK Government also substantially fund humanitarian aid by international organisations and NGOs in the region, totalling around £74 million.
	We have monitored the political process in Chechnya closely since its inception. We were disappointed by the conditions under which the recent Chechen Presidential elections were held, as I made clear in my 6 October press statement. A copy of the press release is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth website: www.fco.gov.uk/policy/news/press-releases. The UK supported similar statements by the EU. We have called on the new Chechen President to promote a genuinely open political process.

Uzbekistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates since 1 January 2001 the British Government have held meetings with the Government of Uzbekistan; and what was discussed at each meeting.

Jack Straw: We have regular contacts with the Government of Uzbekistan across a range of issues, including human rights, regional security, bilateral co-operation, political and economic reform. It would incur disproportionate cost to compile detailed information about meetings of the kind requested by the right hon. Member.

Zimbabwe

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has raised the issue of the closure of United Nations relief and recovery units in Zimbabwe with the UN; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: I have been asked to reply.
	The UN Relief and Recovery Unit (RRU) itself has not been closed. This unit, which was set up jointly by donors and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in January 2002, continues to co-ordinate information sharing and to review policy issues, covering all humanitarian operations in Zimbabwe. The RRU publishes regular situation reports on the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe.
	However, the Government of Zimbabwe has not yet approved UNDP to operate three regional offices (Relief Information Validation units) that RRU had been using to facilitate fieldwork until the Government closed them in the summer. All RRU operations are presently implemented from the Headquarters in Harare, which is feasible but more difficult to manage. At meetings with DFID and other donors, the UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Zimbabwe has agreed to continue to press the Zimbabwe Government to allow the regional offices to operate.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Adult Learning

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he is taking to facilitate adult learning in Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: The Department for Employment and Learning offers a range of services and activities to facilitate adult learning in Northern Ireland, including:
	funding for widespread provision in the statutory FE sector;
	financial support for the Workers' Educational Association and the Ulster Peoples' College, to enable them to deliver adult education and training programmes;
	funding for learners undertaking a range of courses via learndirect;
	essential skills provision, which has been fully integrated into all the Department's programmes, to improve literacy and numeracy skills;
	a range of New Deal initiatives providing opportunities to learn new skills;
	the delivery of an all age guidance service providing career guidance to people in education and training and to the unemployed;
	a Training for Work (TfW) vocational programme, aimed at adults who have not reached the entry point for any of the New Deal options; and
	Worktrack, a temporary employment programme, focusing on the needs of unemployed adults.

Flooding

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will designate an agency with the sole responsibility for flooding.

Ian Pearson: There are no plans for such designation. However the need for co-ordination between Agencies in dealing with flooding emergencies has been given priority with the establishment of an inter-Agency Flood Strategy Steering Group (FSSG). Under the direction of the FSSG, the Rivers Agency, in conjunction with Water Service, Roads Service and others are progressing measures to improve inter-Agency response.

Literacy

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are in place to raise literacy standards among 14-year-old boys in Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: Literacy standards among Key Stage 3 pupils are steadily improving and are currently at their highest ever. The literacy strategy element of the School Improvement Programme is particularly aimed at raising standards among all underachieving pupils, including boys, and this improvement reflects the contribution made by all education partners to its delivery. Specific guidance has been given to schools on maximising the performance of boys, particularly in literacy.

Older People (IT Skills)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he is taking to maximise the education of older people in Northern Ireland in the use of information technology.

Jane Kennedy: The Department for Employment and Learning supports adult learners to develop IT skills through a range of programme and policy initiatives, These include the New Deal for 25+ for long-term unemployed people, which offers participants a range of appropriate training courses. Clients who are eligible for the Training Grant of New Deal 50 plus can access up to £1,500 over a two-year period for in-work training which can include IT skills. In the further education (FE) sector enrolments on information and communications technology (ICT) courses attract an enhanced level of financial support. Some 75 per cent. of current enrolments comprise students aged 25 or over, Learndirect plays a major role in the delivery of ICT programmes. 34 community-based learning venues throughout Northern Ireland offer all adults flexible access to a range of IT programmes at minimal cost to disadvantaged learners, including those over the age of retirement. Recent modifications to the learndirect learner funding model have been introduced to attract older learners on low income.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Advocacy Services

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with local authorities and social services departments about the provision of advocacy services.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not held any substantive discussions with local authorities or social services departments on the provision of advocacy services.

Community Centres

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proposals the Government have to expand the number of community centres in (a) the north west region, (b) Merseyside and (c) St. Helens.

Nick Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recognises the important role community centres can play in supporting sustainable communities. However their funding is not the responsibility of central government, it is a matter for local decision.

Concessionary Fares

David Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have to improve concessionary fare schemes for older people.

Phil Hope: The Transport Act 2000 and the Travel Concessions (Eligibility) Act 2002 ensures that people aged 60 and over in England are entitled to a free bus pass allowing half-fare travel on local buses. Local authorities may provide more generous concessions if they choose, but we have no plans to require them to do so.

Council Tax

Matthew Green: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total collected council tax was in each financial year since 1996–97.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is tabled as follows. The figures shown are the amounts of council tax collected during each financial year, irrespective of the year to which they related.
	
		Amounts of council tax collected, England
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1996–97 8,404 
			 1997–98 9,570 
			 1998–99 10,579 
			 1999–2000 11,457 
			 2000–01 12,242 
			 2001–02 13,208 
			 2002–03 14,511

Council Tax

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average council tax payable for each Government Office Region, broken down by council tax band, was in each financial year since 1996–97.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is tabled as follows.
	
		Average council taxes for Government Office Regions -- £
		
			  Band 
			  A B C D E F G H 
		
		
			 1996–97 
			 North East 482 562 643 723 884 1,044 1,205 1,446 
			 North West 497 579 662 745 911 1,076 1,242 1,490 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 445 519 593 667 815 963 1,112 1,334 
			 East Midlands 444 518 592 666 814 962 1,110 1,332 
			 West Midlands 437 510 583 656 802 948 1,093 1,312 
			 East of England 403 470 537 604 738 872 1,007 1,208 
			 London 411 479 548 616 753 890 1,027 1,232 
			 South East 401 468 535 602 736 870 1,003 1,204 
			 South West 415 484 553 622 760 898 1,037 1,244 
			 England 431 502 574 646 790 933 1,077 1,292 
			  
			 1997–98 
			 North East 521 608 695 782 956 1,130 1,303 1,564 
			 North West 532 621 709 798 975 1,153 1,330 1,596 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 473 552 631 710 868 1,026 1,183 1,420 
			 East Midlands 470 548 627 705 862 1,018 1,175 1,410 
			 West Midlands 467 545 623 701 857 1,013 1,168 1,402 
			 East of England 426 497 568 639 781 923 1,065 1,278 
			 London 434 506 579 651 796 940 1,085 1,302 
			 South East 427 499 570 641 783 926 1,068 1,282 
			 South West 445 519 593 667 815 963 1,112 1,334 
			 England 459 535 612 688 841 994 1,147 1,376 
			  
			 1998–99 
			 North East 561 654 748 841 1,028 1,215 1,402 1,682 
			 North West 571 666 761 856 1,046 1,236 1,427 1,712 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 512 597 683 768 939 1,109 1,280 1,536 
			 East Midlands 517 604 690 776 948 1,121 1,293 1,552 
			 West Midlands 505 589 673 757 925 1,093 1,262 1,514 
			 East of England 473 551 630 709 867 1,024 1,182 1,418 
			 London 458 534 611 687 840 992 1,145 1,374 
			 South East 473 552 631 710 868 1,026 1,183 1,420 
			 South West 487 569 650 731 893 1,056 1,218 1,462 
			 England 498 581 664 747 913 1,079 1,245 1,494 
			  
			 1999–2000 
			 North East 597 696 796 895 1,094 1,293 1,492 1,790 
			 North West 601 701 801 901 1,101 1,301 1,502 1,802 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 540 630 720 810 990 1,170 1,350 1,620 
			 East Midlands 556 649 741 834 1,019 1,205 1,390 1,668 
			 West Midlands 541 632 722 812 992 1,173 1,353 1,624 
			 East of England 512 597 683 768 939 1,109 1,280 1,536 
			 London 487 569 650 731 893 1,056 1,218 1,462 
			 South East 509 594 679 764 934 1,104 1,273 1,528 
			 South West 521 608 695 782 956 1,130 1,303 1,564 
			 England 532 621 709 798 975 1,153 1,330 1,596 
			  
			 2000–01 
			 North East 627 731 836 940 1,149 1,358 1,567 1,880 
			 North West 629 733 838 943 1,153 1,362 1,572 1,886 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 568 663 757 852 1,041 1,231 1,420 1,704 
			 East Midlands 591 690 788 887 1,084 1,281 1,478 1,774 
			 West Midlands 574 670 765 861 1,052 1,244 1,435 1,722 
			 East of England 548 639 731 822 1,005 1,187 1,370 1,644 
			 London 519 605 692 778 951 1,124 1,297 1,556 
			 South East 542 632 723 813 994 1,174 1,355 1,626 
			 South West 557 650 743 836 1,022 1,208 1,393 1,672 
			 England 565 659 753 847 1,035 1,223 1,412 1,694 
			  
			 2001–02 
			 North East 658 767 877 987 1,206 1,425 1,644 1,973 
			 North West 661 771 881 991 1,212 1,432 1,652 1,983 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 604 705 806 906 1,108 1,309 1,510 1,812 
			 East Midlands 626 731 835 939 1,148 1,357 1,566 1,879 
			 West Midlands 614 717 819 922 1,126 1,331 1,536 1,843 
			 East of England 585 683 780 878 1,073 1,268 1,463 1,756 
			 London 561 654 748 841 1,028 1,215 1,402 1,682 
			 South East 577 673 770 866 1,058 1,250 1,443 1,731 
			 South West 590 689 787 886 1,082 1,279 1,476 1,771 
			 England 601 701 801 901 1,102 1,302 1,502 1,803 
			 2002–03 
			 North East 712 831 949 1,068 1,305 1,543 1,780 2,136 
			 North West 696 812 928 1,044 1,276 1,508 1,740 2,088 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 647 755 863 971 1,187 1,403 1,618 1,942 
			 East Midlands 687 801 916 1,030 1,259 1,488 1,717 2,060 
			 West Midlands 663 773 884 994 1,215 1,436 1,657 1,988 
			 East of England 646 754 861 969 1,184 1,400 1,615 1,938 
			 London 597 696 796 895 1,094 1,293 1,492 1,790 
			 South East 633 738 844 949 1,160 1,371 1,582 1,898 
			 South West 652 761 869 978 1,195 1,413 1,630 1,956 
			 England 651 759 868 976 1,193 1,410 1,627 1,952 
			  
			 2003–04 
			 North East 774 903 1,032 1,161 1,419 1,677 1,935 2,322 
			 North West 757 883 1,009 1,135 1,387 1,639 1,892 2,270 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 714 833 952 1,071 1,309 1,547 1,785 2,142 
			 East Midlands 750 875 1,000 1,125 1,375 1,625 1,875 2,250 
			 West Midlands 729 850 972 1,093 1,336 1,579 1,822 2,186 
			 East of England 743 867 991 1,115 1,363 1,611 1,858 2,230 
			 London 705 823 940 1,058 1,293 1,528 1,763 2,116 
			 South East 732 854 976 1,098 1,342 1,586 1,830 2,196 
			 South West 742 866 989 1,113 1,360 1,608 1,855 2,226 
			 England 735 857 980 1,102 1,347 1,592 1,837 2,204

Ex-service Personnel (Housing)

Michael Weir: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance his Department has given to local authorities relating to the rights of persons leaving the armed forces to be included in council house waiting lists on conclusion of their service in the area in which they last served.

Keith Hill: As the hon. Member will be aware, housing is a devolved matter.
	The Code of Guidance on the Allocation of Accommodation which was issued to English housing authorities in November 2002 and came into force at the end of January 2003 states that housing authorities must consider all applications and cannot exclude applicants who, for example, are not currently resident in the district. However, the Code of Guidance makes clear that, in determining relative priorities for an allocation, authorities are able to have regard to whether or not applicants have a local connection with the district. The Code of Guidance does refer specifically to the rights of persons leaving the armed forces to be included in council waiting lists.

Housing

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was spent by each local authority planning Large Scale Voluntary Transfer; and whether this expenditure was within the guidelines set by the Department in each case.

Keith Hill: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps his Department is taking to ensure that section 106 agreements between local authorities and housing associations do not provide a perverse financial incentive to develop one and two bedroom properties at the expense of three and four bedroom properties.

Keith Hill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 6 November 2003, Official Report, columns 796–97W.

Housing

Linda Perham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what plans he has to ensure that housing advice reaches older people from ethnic minorities;
	(2)  what plans he has to develop proactive services for giving older people housing advice.

Yvette Cooper: Section 179 of the Housing Act 1996 requires local housing authorities to ensure that advice and information about homelessness and the prevention of homelessness is available free of charge to anyone in their district. The Homelessness Code of Guidance, to which local authorities must have regard by law, states that advisory services need to be accessible to everyone in the district, and well publicised. The Code also states that authorities need to monitor the provision of advisory services to ensure they continue to meet the needs of all sections of the community.
	In addition, the Homelessness Act 2002 requires local housing authorities to ensure that advice and information is available free to everyone in their district about the right to apply for housing. If anyone is likely to have difficulty in making an application without assistance, the housing authority must ensure that any necessary assistance is available free of charge.
	The Homelessness Directorate within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has issued good practice guidance to assist local authorities in the development of their strategies on preventing and tackling homelessness in their area, to include information on addressing the needs of older people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and the needs of homeless black and minority ethnic people. This could include, for example, specialist mediation services for older people who have to leave a family home.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has invested £2.5 million in 2003–04 with Shelter's National Homelessness Advice Service (NHAS). NHAS is a secondary advice and support service provided by Shelter in partnership with the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux and has been supported by Government since it was established in 1990. This service is open to anyone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
	The Housing and Older People Development Group—which advises the Department of Health and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on housing issues affecting older people—is looking into ways to develop and enhance advice, information and advocacy services nationally and locally for older people and their carers, to help them in making choices about housing, care and support options. The group is also looking at ways of sharing information across agencies and to support and advise the advisers.
	As part of its work, the Group is also considering strategies to improving access to information about mainstream services for black and minority ethnic older people.
	As part of the Government's Supporting People programme, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has published a guide: "Reflecting the Needs and Concerns of Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in Supporting People" for housing support service providers. This can be found on the Supporting People website address at: www.spkweb.org.uk/files/020429impreflect.pdf
	In addition to the Supporting People main website, a special BMESpark website has also been developed. This brings together expertise and experience in responding to the needs and concerns of black and minority ethnic communities as part of the Supporting People Programme. The BMESpark website address is www.bmespark.org.uk.

Investment Frameworks (West Midlands)

George Stevenson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many area investment frameworks have been established in the West Midlands Region.

Yvette Cooper: Advantage West Midlands (AWM) has developed six Regeneration Zones in the West Midlands Region, five of which are in urban areas.
	The six zones encompass concentration of need and substantial opportunities, and include the most deprived wards in the region. They aim to regenerate communities by raising skills levels, creating development opportunities, reducing unemployment and tackling social exclusion.
	A Regeneration Zone Partnership, which includes representatives from local authorities, businesses and the voluntary and community sectors, heads each Regeneration Zone and it is responsible for developing the Regeneration Zone Strategy, identifying needs in the area and how they might be addressed by funding streams available to partners. Substantial work is underway with the West Midlands Regional Observatory, to identify baseline conditions and outcome targets in each zone.

IT Contracts

Howard Flight: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many outsourced IT contracts have been signed by his Department in each year since 1997; how much each of these contracts is worth; with whom they are signed; how many have been renegotiated; how many are still in place; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) was created in May 2002. Since 1997, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and its central departmental predecessors (DTLR and DETR) signed two IT contracts, totalling £10.7 million. Of these, one is a Department for Transport (DfT) contract providing joint services to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the other is the sole responsibility of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. These contracts were let with:
	LogicaCMG for the provision of the corporate payroll service for DfT and ODPM
	Fujitsu for the provision of IT infrastructure and desktop services for the Government Office Network.
	Both contracts are still in place and one has been renegotiated.

Referendums

Owen Paterson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much has been spent by his Office on referenda since its creation.

Nick Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has incurred no expenditure on holding referendums.
	The Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Act 2003 provides for the forthcoming regional assembly referendums. Expenditure for these will be incurred by the Electoral Commission, who will request resources from the Speakers Committee to cover its referendum costs. Costs incurred by local authorities in running the referendums will be met from the consolidated fund. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will bear the associated costs of the information campaign and the work of the Boundary Committee.
	The former Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions incurred expenditure of £1 million on the referendum held in London in 1998 on whether to establish the Greater London Authority.

Rented Homes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects the Law Commission to (a) publish its final report on renting homes and (b) publish draft legislation.

Keith Hill: On 5 November 2003, the Law Commission published "Renting Homes" (Law Com 284) in which they set out recommendations on the reform of housing law. The report was published ahead of the publication of a draft Bill in order to allow the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and others in the housing field to consider the policy issues underlying the Commission's proposals.
	As the Commission pointed out in the press notice accompanying their report, the proposed new law will involve replacing a complex web of land law principles and statutory provisions that have grown up over the last 100 years.
	Work is well in hand at the Commission on drafting the necessary legislation. Their aim is to publish a final report, together with a draft bill, in 2004. At this stage, it is not possible to be more precise.

Road Building

Paul Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the proposal by Norfolk County Council's Planning and Transportation Department to build a Northern Distributor Road through Ringland Valley;
	(2)  if he will undertake a full Environmental Audit on the proposals to build a road through the Ringland Valley in Norfolk.

Keith Hill: Options for a Northern Distributor Road form part of a review of the Norwich Area Transport Strategy currently being undertaken by Norfolk County Council. If, as an outcome of the review, the council decides to go ahead with preparation of plans for the Distributor Road, it would need to undertake a full appraisal of the scheme, covering the environmental impacts as well as the economic, safety, integration and accessibility effects.

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the reasons private landlords have given for refusing to participate in the pilot voluntary tenancy deposit scheme

Keith Hill: Shortly after the publication of the consultation paper last year we published 'An Evaluation of the pilot Tenancy Deposit Scheme'—a report on a study carried out by the University of York. A digest of this report had been published alongside the consultation paper.

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the statement by the hon. Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper), Official Report, column 118WH, what estimate his Department has made of the potential costs of independent adjudication under a tenancy deposit scheme.

Keith Hill: The estimated maximum cost of adjudications would be £19 million. However, this is based on the assumption that the rate of disputes inside a statutory scheme (requiring adjudication) would be the same as the current rate of alleged unreasonable withholding of deposits.

Travellers

Mark Todd: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the implications for (a) traveller migration to the UK, (b) demand for traveller sites and (c) unauthorised encampments of the introduction of changes in the law of trespass in the Irish Republic.

Yvette Cooper: Officials of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are currently reviewing policy on site provision and planning for gypsies and travellers. As part of this work they will also look into the wider implications of Irish traveller migration to the UK following the Republic of Ireland's legislative changes, and the possible demand for additional sites.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Capital Modernisation Fund

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 1534W, on the Capital Modernisation Fund, if she will provide a breakdown by governing body of the £20 million from the Capital Modernisation Fund.

Estelle Morris: The Rugby Football Union, the Football Association, the England and Wales Cricket Board, and the Lawn Tennis Association have been allocated £9.4 million each from the Community Club Development Programme over the period 2003–04 to 2005–06 (the first year of which is funded from the Capital Modernisation Fund).
	The following governing bodies have been allocated £20 million between them over these three years:
	the Badminton Association of England,
	England Basketball,
	the British Canoe Union,
	British Cycling,
	British Gymnastics,
	the English Hockey Federation,
	the British Judo Association,
	the All England Netball Association,
	the Amateur Rowing Association,
	the Rugby Football League,
	the Amateur Swimming Association, and
	the English Table Tennis Association.
	These allocations are subject to the amounts of governing bodies' bids to utilise funds from the Programme, and on the acceptance of their bids to do so.

Industrial Buildings

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much English Heritage has spent on renovating and bringing back into use pre-First World War industrial buildings since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: Since 1997 English Heritage has awarded £2,754,799 in grants to industrial sites that are either wholly or partly pre-First World War in date. A further £235,619 has been awarded through the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund. In addition, some sites will have been supported through the Heritage Economic Regeneration Schemes, which English Heritage run in partnership with local authorities. Details of this further funding could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Prison Service

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will revoke the decision to exclude the prison service from the award of the Golden Jubilee Medal by Her Majesty The Queen.

Richard Caborn: In February 2001 a decision was made by the Ministerial Group in charge of the Golden Jubilee to award a medal to commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal would be awarded to members of the armed services, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, who had completed five years service on 6 February 2002. In December 2001 a decision was made by the Ministerial Group to extend the eligibility for the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal to the those members of the emergency "999" services, that had also completed five years service on the 6 February 2002. There are no plans to review these criteria and the Ministerial Group has long since been disbanded.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Volunteering

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he is taking with the Home Office's Active Community Unit to increase volunteering in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: The Department is working closely with the Home Office's Active Community Unit (ACU) to ensure that volunteering by young people contributes to the Government's overall drive to increase community participation. One important element of the new Citizenship curriculum in schools is the involvement of pupils in the life and concerns of their neighbourhood and communities, including learning through community involvement and service. Since September 2002, we have been funding Active Citizens in Schools (ACiS)—a pilot which builds on aspect of Millennium Volunteers to encourage 11–15 year olds to make a commitment to volunteering in line with the citizenship curriculum and encourage them to become Millennium Volunteers when they reach the age of 16.

Free School Meals

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received on setting minimum standards for the nutritional value of a free school meal; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 10 November 2003
	The issue as to whether the national nutritional standards should be food or nutrient based was debated thoroughly during extensive consultation prior to the introduction of the standards in 2001. The overwhelming consensus was that food based standards would be simpler to implement and monitor, and would be consistent with cross Government messages aimed at teaching children to make healthy eating choices. There has been nothing in the intervening period to suggest that this decision should be reversed.

Free School Meals

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information he has collated about the effect of the introduction of child tax credit on the numbers of children eligible for free school meals.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested is not currently available.
	The number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is collected in January each year via the Annual Schools' Census. As a result, data on the number of pupils known to be eligible for free meals since the introduction of new rules in April 2003 will not be available until spring 2004.

Free School Meals

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children (a) were assessed as eligible for free school meals and (b) claimed free school meals in the most recent year for which figures are avilable, broken down by ethnic group.

Stephen Twigg: The table shows the information that is available centrally. It relates to pupils who are known to be eligible for, and claim, free school meals. Equivalent information for the take-up of free school meals is not collected at pupil level and therefore cannot be broken down by ethnic group.
	
		Maintained primary and secondary schools: number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals by ethnic group(2) -- January 2003, England
		
			  Pupils of compulsory school age and above 
			  Maintained Primary(3) Maintained Secondary(3) 
			  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals(4) Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals(5) Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals(4) Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals(5) 
		
		
			 White 444,762 15.6 337,313 12.3 
			 White British 421,503 15.3 321,182 12.1 
			 Irish 2,962 22.2 2,448 18.5 
			 Traveller of Irish heritage 1,684 64.5 520 44.9 
			 Any other White background 16,263 22.8 12,416 19.5 
			 Gypsy/Roma 2,350 54.2 747 48.1 
			 Mixed 29,393 28.2 15,988 24.7 
			 White and Black Caribbean 13,099 35.3 7,163 30.5 
			 White and Black African 2,887 30.1 1,398 26.0 
			 White and Asian 4,186 20.3 2,108 16.7 
			 Any other mixed background 9,221 25.1 5,319 22.9 
			 Asian 63,568 27.0 60,229 29.4 
			 Indian 8,852 11.8 9,474 12.0 
			 Pakistani 32,128 32.5 29,191 38.3 
			 Bangladeshi 17,864 44.6 17,471 57.8 
			 Any other Asian background 4,724 21.5 4,093 21.4 
			 Black 48,990 38.4 34,971 33.3 
			 Black Caribbean 15,931 31.2 12,873 27.9 
			 Black African 27,865 44.4 17,804 39.2 
			 Any other Black background 5,194 37.6 4,294 31.9 
			 Chinese 1,150 10.6 1,250 10.4 
			 Any other ethnic group 11,964 40.7 8,902 35.8 
			 Classified 599,827 17.8 458,653 14.6 
			 Unclassified(6) 21,625 19.4 20,127 12.5 
			 All Pupils (2) 621,452 17.9 478,780 14.5 
		
	
	(2) Pupils of compulsory school age and above.
	(3) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(4) Excludes dually registered pupils and includes boarders.
	(5) Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount)
	of pupils in each ethnic group.
	(6) Information was not sought or refused.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Free School Meals

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children received free school meals at the beginning of each school year since 1997.

Stephen Twigg: The number of pupils who took a free school meal on the day of the Annual Schools' Census and the number of pupils who were known to be eligible, and claimed, a free school meal are shown in the tables.
	
		Maintained nursery and primary schools(7): School meal arrangements -- Position as at January each year—England
		
			  Number on roll Number of pupils taking free school meals(8) Percentage taking free school meals Numberof pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
		
		
			 1997(9) 4,479,454 775,742 17.3 944,592 21.1 
			 1998(9) 4,508,924 731,576 16.2 891,048 19.8 
			 1999(9) 4,507,663 690,321 15.3 853,020 18.9 
			 2000(9) 4,481,677 671,486 15.0 821,521 18.3 
			 2001(9) 4,451,224 631,638 14.2 784,976 17.6 
			 2002(9) 4,405,639 616,625 14.0 754,511 17.1 
			 2003(10) 4,350,260 604,911 13.9 731,611 16.8 
		
	
	(7) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(8) The number of pupils who took a free school meal on the day of the Census.
	(9) Excludes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils.
	(10) Includes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils.
	
		Maintained secondary schools(11): School meal arrangements -- Position as at January each year—England
		
			  Number on roll Number of pupils taking free school meals(12) Percentage taking free school meals Numberof pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
		
		
			 1997(13) 3,036,994 381,243 12.6 552,903 18.2 
			 1998(13) 3,069,029 367,798 12.0 537,073 17.5 
			 1999(13) 3,118,277 367,795 11.8 527,339 16.9 
			 2000(13) 3,177,998 368,303 11.6 523,630 16.5 
			 2001(13) 3,226,973 353,469 11.0 509,676 15.8 
			 2002(13) 3,260,931 354,256 10.9 486,353 14.9 
			 2003(14) 3,308,492 349,777 10.6 478,915 14.5 
		
	
	(11) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(12) The number of pupils who took a free school meal on the day of the Census.
	(13) Excludes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils.
	(14) Includes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils.

Sexual Offences Bill

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if he will reassess his guidelines on sex and relationship education for under 16-year-olds with reference to the Sexual Offences Bill;
	(2)  if he will reassess his guidance to teachers of under 16-year-olds with reference to the Sexual Offences Bill.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 11 November 2003
	At present, the Department has no plans to revise its Sex and Relationship Guidance for schools. This position will be reviewed when the Sexual Offences Bill is passed.